Section 31 of the PBPT Act: Composition of the Appellate Tribunal

Section 31 of the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 governs the composition of the Appellate Tribunal, constitution of its Benches, territorial jurisdiction and transfer of Members between Benches.

Current legal position: The statute is the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 (PBPT Act), as substantially amended by the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016. Section 31 forms part of Chapter V dealing with the Appellate Tribunal.

What does Section 31 provide?

Section 31 sets out the institutional composition and bench structure of the Appellate Tribunal that hears appeals arising under the PBPT Act. Section 30 provides for establishment of the Appellate Tribunal, while Section 31 deals specifically with its Chairperson, Members, Benches, places of sitting, territorial jurisdiction and transfer of Members.

Section 31 - Composition etc. of Appellate Tribunal

(1) The Appellate Tribunal shall consist of a Chairperson and at least two other Members of which one shall be a Judicial Member and other shall be an Administrative Member.

(2) Subject to the provisions of the Act:

the jurisdiction of the Appellate Tribunal may be exercised by its Benches;
a Bench may be constituted by the Chairperson with two Members as the Chairperson may deem fit;
the Benches of the Appellate Tribunal shall ordinarily sit in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and at such other places as the Central Government may, in consultation with the Chairperson, by notification, specify; and
the Central Government shall, by notification, specify the areas in relation to which each Bench of the Appellate Tribunal may exercise its jurisdiction.

(3) Notwithstanding sub-section (2), the Chairperson may transfer a Member from one Bench to another Bench.

Meaning of key expressions: Under Section 2 of the PBPT Act, "Appellate Tribunal" means the Appellate Tribunal established under Section 30. A "Bench" is the sitting or panel through which the Tribunal exercises jurisdiction under Section 31.

How Section 31 operates in practice

The Appellate Tribunal is the statutory appellate forum for specified orders under the PBPT Act. The official Appellate Tribunal website states that the Tribunal currently hears matters under several central enactments, including the PBPT Act, and functions from New Delhi. The Tribunal may also hold sittings as permitted by the applicable statutory framework and administrative arrangements.

An appeal under the PBPT Act is principally governed by Section 46. That provision permits an aggrieved person, including the Initiating Officer, to appeal against specified orders of the Adjudicating Authority within the statutory period, subject to the conditions stated in Section 46.

Why Section 31 is important

Section 31 determines who may sit on the Tribunal and how the Tribunal may exercise its jurisdiction through Benches. These provisions are important for bench constitution, allocation of cases, place of sitting, territorial jurisdiction and administrative transfer of Members.

Related provisions

Section 31 should be read with the PBPT Act overview, Section 30 on establishment of the Appellate Tribunal, Section 32 on qualifications, Section 33 on service conditions, and Section 40 on procedure and powers of the Appellate Tribunal.

Last reviewed: 14 September 2026. Readers should verify notifications, procedural rules and current bench arrangements from official sources before filing or acting on a legal matter.