Banking Regulation Act, 1949
45G. Public examination of Directors and
Auditors
(1) Where an order has been made for the
winding up of a banking company, the official liquidator shall submit a report
whether in his opinion any loss has been caused to the banking company since
its formation by any act or omission (whether or not a fraud has been committed
by such act or omission) or any person in the promotion of the banking company
or of any Director or Auditor of the banking company.
(2) If, on consideration of the report
submitted under sub-section (1), the High Court is of opinion that any person
who has taken part in the promotion or formation of the banking company or has
been a Director or an Auditor of the banking company should be publicly
examined, it shall hold a public sitting on a date to be appointed for that
purpose and direct that such person, Director or Auditor shall attend thereat
and shall be publicly examined as to the promotion or formation or the conduct
of the business of the banking company, or as to his conduct and dealings, in
so far as they relate to the affairs of the banking company:
PROVIDED that no such person shall be publicly
examined unless he has been given an opportunity to show cause why he should
not be so examined.
(3) The official liquidator shall take part in
the examination and for that purpose may, if specially authorized by the High
Court in that behalf, employ such legal assistance as may be sanctioned by the
High Court.
(4) Any creditor or contributory may also take
part in the examination either personally or by any person entitled to appear
before the High Court.
(5) The High Court may put such questions to
the person examined as it thinks fit.
(6) The person examined shall be examined on
oath and shall answer all such questions as the High Court may put or allow to
be put to him.
(7) A person ordered to be examined under this
section may, at his own cost, employ any person entitled to appear before the
High Court who shall be at liberty to put to him such questions as the High
Court may deem just for the purpose of enabling him to explain or qualify any
answer given by him:
PROVIDED that if he is, in the opinion of the
High Court, exculpated from any charges made or suggested against him, the High
Court may allow him such costs in its discretion as it may deem fit.
(8) Notes of the examination shall be taken
down in writing, and shall be read over to or by, and signed by, the person
examined and may thereafter be used in evidence against him in any proceeding,
civil or criminal, and shall be open to the inspection of any creditor or
contributory at all reasonable times.
(9) Where on such examination, the High Court
is of opinion (whether a fraud has been committed or not):-
(a) that a person, who
has been a Director of the banking company, is not fit to be a Director of a
company, or
(b) that a person, who
has been an Auditor of the banking company or a partner of a firm acting as
such Auditor, is not fit to act as an Auditor of a company or to be a partner
of a firm acting as such Auditor, the High Court may make an order that the
person shall not, without the leave of the High Court, be a Director of, or in
any way, whether directly or indirectly, be concerned or take part in the
management of any company or, as the case may be, act as an Auditor of, or be a
partner of a firm acting as Auditors of, any company for such period not
exceeding five years as may be specified in the order.