Section 4D · Adjudication of penalties

¹[4D. Adjudication of penalties.---(1) The Central Government may, by an order published in the Official Gazette, appoint an officer of the Central Government, not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India or equivalent, as adjudicating officer for adjudging penalties under the provisions of this Act.

(2) The adjudicating officer may, on a complaint made in writing by a person authorised by the Corporation, and after giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard, by an order impose penalty on a director or employee liable to penalty under any provision of this Act on account of any contravention or violation on his part.

(3) The adjudicating officer, for the purposes of discharging his functions under this Act, shall 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, to summon and enforce the attendance of any person and examine him on oath and to require the discovery and production of documents or other electronic records, and shall be deemed to be a civil court for purposes of Order XXI of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908.

(4) A director or employee aggrieved by any order made by the adjudicating officer may prefer an appeal to such officer to the Central Government of a rank higher than that of the adjudicating officer as the Central Government may appoint as appellate authority, within thirty days from the date on which a copy of the order made by the adjudicating officer is received by the aggrieved individual, and the officer so appointed may, after giving the individual an opportunity of being heard, pass such order as he may deem fit, confirming, modifying or setting aside the order appealed against, or remanding the case to the adjudicating officer for disposal, with such directions as he may deem fit.

(5) Where a director or employee of the Corporation having already been subjected to penalty under this Act for any contravention or violation of any provision of this Act, again commits such contravention or violation within a period of three years from the date of order imposing such penalty passed by the adjudicating officer, he shall be liable for the second or subsequent contravention or violation for twice the amount of penalty provided therefor.]