12. Powers of the commission.
(1) The Commission shall, for the purposes of any inquiry under this Act, have the same powers as are vested in a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), while trying a suit, in respect of the following matters, namely :-
(a) the summoning and enforcing the attendance of any witness and examining him on oath;
(b) the discovery and production of any document or other material object producible as evidence;
(c) the reception of evidence on affidavits;
(d) the requisitioning of any public record from any court or office;
(e) the issuing of any commission for the examination of witnesses;
1[(f) the appearance of parties and consequence of non-appearance.]
(2) Any proceeding before the Commission shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of sections 193 and 228 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (45 of 1890), and the Commission shall be deemed to be a civil court for the purposes of section 195 2[and Chapter XXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).]
(3) The Commission shall have power to require any person -
(a) to produce before, and allow to be examined and kept by, an officer of the Commission specified in this behalf, such books, accounts or other documents in the custody or under the control of the person so required as may be specified or described in the requisition, being documents relating to any trade practice, the examination of which may be required for the purposes of this Act; and
(b) to furnish to an officer so specified such information as respects the trade practice as may be required for the purposes of this Act or such other information as may be in his possession in relation to the trade carried on by any other person.
(4) For the purpose of enforcing the attendance of witnesses the local limits of the Commission’s jurisdiction shall be the limits of the territory of India.
3[(5) Where, during any inquiry under this Act, the Commission has any grounds to believe that any books or papers of, or relating to any undertaking in relation to which such inquiry is being made or which the owner of such undertaking may be required to produce in such inquiry, are being, or may be, destroyed, mutilated, altered, falsified or secreted, it may, by a written order, authorise any officer of the Commission to exercise the same powers of entry, search and seizure in relation to the undertaking, or the books or papers, aforesaid as may be exercised by the Director General while holding a preliminary investigation under section 11.]
Note:
1. Inserted by Act No. 58 of 1991, w.e.f. 27th. September, 1991.
2. Substituted for the words, brackets and figures "and Chapter XXV of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (5 of 1898)" by Act No. 58 of 1991.
3. Inserted by Act No. 30 of 1984, w.e.f. 1st. August, 1984. |