Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act, 1976
6. LIABILITY TO REPAY BONDED DEBT TO STAND
EXTINGUISHED. –
(1) On the
commencement of this Act, every obligation of a bonded laborer to repay any
bonded debt, or such part of any bonded debt unsatisfied immediately before
such commencement, shall be deemed to have been extinguished.
(2) After the
commencement of this Act, no suit or other proceedings shall lie in any civil
or before any other authority for the recovery of any bonded debt or any part
thereof.
(3) Every decree or order for the recovery of
bonded debt, passed before the commencement of this Act and not fully satisfied
before such commencement, shall be deemed, on such commencement, to have been
fully satisfied.
(4) Every attachment
made before the commencement of this Act, for the recovery of any bonded debt,
shall, on such commencement, stand vacated; and, where, in pursuance of such
attachment, any movable property of the bonded laborer was seized and removed from
his custody and kept in the custody of any court or other authority pending
sale thereof, such movable property shall be restored, as soon as may be
practicable after such commencement, to the possession of the bonded
laborer.
(5) Where, before the commencement of this
Act, possession of any property belonging to a bonded laborer or a member of
his family or other dependent was forcibly taken over by any creditor for the
recovery of any bonded debt, such property shall be restored, as soon as may be
practicable after such commencement, to the possession of the person from whom
it was seized.
(6) If restoration of the possession of any
property referred to in sub-section (4) or sub-section (5) is not made within
thirty days from the commencement of this Act, the aggrieved person may, within
such time as may be prescribed, apply to the prescribed authority for the
restoration of the possession of such property and the prescribed authority
may, after giving the creditor a reasonable opportunity of being heard, direct
the creditor to restore to the applicant the possession of the concerned
property within such time as may be specified in the order.
(7) An order made by any prescribed authority,
under sub-section (6), shall be deemed to be an order made by a civil court and
may be executed by the court of the lowest pecuniary jurisdiction within the
local of whose jurisdiction the creditor voluntarily resides or carries on
business or personally works for gain.
(8) For the avoidance of doubts, it is hereby
declared, that where any attached property was sold before the commencement of
this Act, in execution of a decree or order for the recovery of a bonded debt,
such sale shall not be affected by any provision of this Act.
Provided that the bonded laborer, or an agent authorized by him in this
behalf, may, at any time within five years from such commencement, apply to
have the sale set aside on his depositing in court, for payment to the
decree-holder, the amount specified in the proclamation of sale, for the
recovery of which the sale was ordered, less any amount, as well as mesne profits, which may, since the date of such
proclamation of sale, have been received by the decree-holder.
(9) Where any suit or proceeding, for the enforcement
of any obligation under the bonded labor system, including a suit or proceeding
for the recovery of any advance made to a bonded laborer, is pending at the
commencement of this Act, such suit or other proceeding shall, on such
commencement stand dismissed.
(10) On the commencement of this Act, every
bonded laborer who has been detained in civil prison, whether before or after
judgment, shall be released from detention forthwith.