The High Court may exercise, so far as may be applicable, all the powers conferred by Chapters XXIX and XXX of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) on a High Court, as if a Special Court within the local limits of the jurisdiction of the High Court were a Court of Session trying cases within the local limits of the jurisdiction of the High Court.
Save as otherwise provided in this Act, the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) shall apply to the proceedings before a Special Court and for the purposes of the said provisions, the Special Court shall be 1[deemed to be a Court of Session or the court of Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class, as the case may be,] and the person conducting a prosecution before a Special Court shall be deemed to be a Public Prosecutor.
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1. Subs. by Act 1 of 2018, s. 87 for "deemed to be a Court of Session" (w.e.f. 7-5-2018).
(1) Notwithstanding anything in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), every offence under this Act except the offences referred to in sub-section (6) of section 212 shall be deemed to be non-cognizable within the meaning of the said Code.
(2) No court shall take cognizance of any offence under this Act which is alleged to have been committed by any company or any officer thereof, except on the complaint in writing of the Registrar, a shareholder 1[or a member] of the company, or of a person authorised by the Central Government in that behalf:
Provided that the court may take cognizance of offences relating to issue and transfer of securities and non-payment of dividend, on a complaint in writing, by a person authorised by the Securities and Exchange Board of India:
Provided further that nothing in this sub-section shall apply to a prosecution by a company of any of its officers.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974),where the complainant under sub-section (2) is the Registrar or a person authorised by the Central Government, the presence of such officer before the Court trying the offences shall not be necessary unless the court requires his personal attendance at the trial.
(4) The provisions of sub-section (2) shall not apply to any action taken by the liquidator of a company in respect of any offence alleged to have been committed in respect of any of the matters in Chapter XX or in any other provision of this Act relating to winding up of companies.
Explanation.--The liquidator of a company shall not be
deemed to be an officer of the company within the meaning of
sub-section (2).
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1. Ins. by s. 88, ibid., (w.e.f. 7-5-2018).
Any offence committed under this Act, which is triable by a Special Court shall, until a Special Court is established, be tried by a 1[Court of Session or the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class, as the case may be] exercising jurisdiction over the area, notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974):
Provided that nothing contained in this section shall affect the powers of the High Court under section 407 of the Code to transfer any case or class of cases taken cognizance by a 1[Court of Session or the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class, as the case may be] under this section.
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1. Subs. by s. 89, ibid., for "Court of Session" (w.e.f. 7-5-2018).