Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011
Chapter IV Powers of Competent Authority
7. Powers of Competent Authority.
1. Without
prejudice to the powers conferred upon the Competent Authority under any other
law for the time being in force, the Competent Authority, may require, for the
purpose of any inquiry any public servant or any other person who in its
opinion shall be able to furnish information or produce documents relevant to
the inquiry or assist in the inquiry, to furnish any such information or
produce any such document as may be necessary for the said purpose.
2. For the
purpose of any such inquiry (including the preliminary inquiry), the Competent
Authority shall have all the powers of a Civil Court while trying a suit under
the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, in respect of the following matters,
namely:-
a.
summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and
examining him on oath;
b.
requiring the discovery and production of any document;
c.
receiving evidence on affidavits;
d.
requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court
or office;
e.
issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or
documents;
f.
such other matters as may be prescribed.
1.
2.
3. The
Competent Authority shall be deemed to be a Civil Court for the purpose of
section 195 and Chapter XXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and every
proceeding before the Competent Authority shall be deemed to be a judicial
proceeding within the meaning of sections 193 and 228 and for the purposes of
section 196 of the Indian Penal Code.
4. Subject
to the provisions of section 8, no obligation to maintain secrecy or other
restriction upon the disclosure of information obtained by or furnished to the
Government or any public servant, whether imposed by the Official Secrets Act,
1923 or any other law for the time being in force, shall be claimed by any
public servant in the proceedings before the Competent Authority or any person
or agency authorised by it in writing and the Government or any public servant
shall not be entitled in relation to any such inquiry, to any such privilege in
respect of the production of documents or the giving of evidence as is allowed
by any enactment or by any rules made there under:
Provided that the Competent Authority, while exercising such
powers of the Civil Court, shall take steps as necessary to ensure that the
identity of the person making complaint has not been revealed or compromised.