Section 18, 19 and 20 of Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act 2019

Section 18. Powers of Designated Court

(1) The Designated Court shall exercise the following powers, namely:-
(a) power to approve the statement of dues of the deposit taker due from various debtors;

(b) power to assess the value of the assets of the deposit taker and finalise the list of the
depositors and their respective dues;

(c) power to direct the Competent Authority to take possession of any assets belonging to or in the control of the deposit taker and to sell, transfer or realise the attached assets, either by public auction or by private sale as it deems fit depending upon the nature of assets and credit the sale proceeds thereof to its bank account;

(d) power to approve the necessary expenditure to be incurred by the Competent Authority for taking possession and realisation of the assets of the deposit taker;

(e) power to pass an order for full payment to the depositors by the Competent Authority or an order for proportionate payment to the depositors in the event, the money so realised is not sufficient to meet the entire deposit liability;

(f) power to direct any person, who has made profit or averted loss by indulging in any transaction or activity in contravention of the provisions of this Act, to disgorge an amount equivalent to the wrongful gain made or loss averted by such contravention; and

(g) power to pass any other order which the Designated Court deems fit for realisation of assets of the deposit taker and for repayment of the same to the depositors of such deposit taker or on any other matter or issue incidental thereto.

(2) On the application of any person interested in any property attached and vested in the Competent Authority under this Act and after giving such Competent Authority an opportunity of being heard, make such order as the Designated Court considers just and reasonable for-

(a) providing from such of the property attached and vested in the Competent Authority as the applicant claims an interest in, such sums as may be reasonably necessary for the maintenance of the applicant and of his family, and for expenses connected with the defence of the applicant where criminal proceedings have been initiated against him in the Designated Court under this Act; or

(b) safeguarding, so far as may be practicable, the interest of any business affected by the
attachment.

Explanation.-For the purposes of this section, the expression "deposit taker" includes the directors, promoters, managers or members of said establishment or any other person whose property or assets have been attached under this Act.

19. Appeal to High Court

Any person including the Competent Authority, if aggrieved by any final order of the Designated Court under this Chapter, may appeal to the High Court, within a period of sixty days from the date of such order:

Provided that the High Court may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of sixty days, if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from preferring the appeal in time.

Explanation.-The expression "High Court" means the High Court of a State or Union territory
where the Designated Court is situated.

Section 20. Power of Supreme Court to transfer cases

(1) Whenever it is made to appear to the Supreme Court that there is a default in any deposit scheme or deposit schemes of the nature referred to in section 30, the Supreme Court may, by an order, direct that any particular case be transferred from one Designated Court to another Designated Court.

(2) The Supreme Court may act under this section only on an application filed by the Competent Authority or any interested party, and every such application shall be supported by an affidavit.

(3) Where an application for the exercise of the powers conferred by this section is dismissed, the Supreme Court may, if it is of opinion that the application was frivolous or vexatious, order the applicant to pay by way of compensation to any person who has opposed the application such sum not exceeding fifty thousand rupees as it may consider appropriate in the circumstances of the case.