Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011
Chapter V Protection to the Persons Making Disclosure
11. Safeguards against victimisation.
1. The
Central Government shall ensure that no person or a public servant who has made
a disclosure under this Act is victimised by initiation of any proceedings or
otherwise merely on the ground that such person or a public servant had made a
disclosure or rendered assistance in inquiry under this Act.
2. If any
person is being victimised or likely to be victimised on the ground that he had
filed a complaint or made disclosure or rendered assistance in inquiry under
this Act, he may file an application before the Competent Authority seeking
redress in the matter, and such authority shall take such action, as deemed fit
and may give suitable directions to the concerned public servant or the public
authority, as the case may be, to protect such person from being victimised or
avoid his victimisation:
Provided that the Competent Authority shall, before giving any
such direction to the public authority or public servant, give an opportunity
of hearing to the complainant and the public authority or public servant, as
the case may be:
Provided further that in any such hearing, the burden of proof
that the alleged action on the part of the public authority is not
victimisation, shall lie on the public authority.
1.
2.
3. Every
direction given under sub-section (2) by the Competent Authority shall
be binding upon the public servant or the public authority against whom the
allegation of victimisation has been proved.
4. Notwithstanding
anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, the power to
give directions under sub-section (2 ), in relation to a public servant,
shall include the power to direct the restoration of the public servant making
the disclosure, to the status quo ante .
5. Any
person who wilfully does not comply with the direction of the Competent
Authority under sub-section (2 ), shall be liable to a penalty which may
extend up to thirty thousand rupees.