Section 19 - Powers of authorities of Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act

[19. (1) The authorities shall, for the purposes of 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)        discovery and inspection;

(b)        enforcing the attendance of any person, including any official of a banking company or a public financial institution or any other intermediary or reporting entity, and examining him on oath;

(c)        compelling the production of books of account and other documents;

(d)        issuing commissions;

(e)        receiving evidence on affidavits; and

(f)         any other matter which may be prescribed.

(2) All the persons summoned under sub-section (1) shall be bound to attend in person or through authorised agents, as any authority under this Act may direct, and shall be bound to state the truth upon any subject respecting which they are examined or make statements, and produce such documents as may be required.

(3) Every proceeding under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of section 193 and section 228 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).

(4) For the purposes of this Act, any authority under this Act may requisition the service of any police officer or of any officer of the Central Government or State Government or of both to assist him for all or any of the purposes specified in sub-section (1), and it shall be the duty of every such officer to comply with the requisition or direction.

(5) For the purposes of this section, "reporting entity" means any intermediary or any authority or of the Central or the State Government or any other person as may be notified in this behalf.

Explanation.—For the purposes of sub-section (5), "intermediary" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (n) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (15 of 2003).]