State Act

THE PUDUCHERRY MONEY LENDERS ACT, 1970

10. (1) The Government may, by notification, appoint one or more persons to be Inspectors for the purposes of this Act and specify in such notification the local limits of their jurisdiction. (2) Every Inspector shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code. (3) (a) *[(i) A District Magistrate, an Additional District Magistrate or a Sub-Divisional Magistrate] may, on receiving a report from an Inspector that a person carries on without a licence or that a money-lender carries on in contravention of the provisions of this Act or the conditions of licence granted thereunder the business of money-lending at any place within the jurisdiction of such Magistrate, issue a warrant empowering the Inspector to enter such place with such assistants as he considers necessary and inspect the books, accounts, records, files, documents, *[securities, safes and vaults] in such premises. (ii) On receiving the warrant referred to in sub-clause (i), the Inspector may enter the place and inspect the books, accounts, records, files, documents, *[Securities, safes and vaults] in such premises and may take to his office for further investigation such books, accounts, records, files *[documents and securities] as he considers necessary: Provided that if the Inspector removes from the premises any books accounts, records, files *[documents and securities], he shall give to the person in charge of the place, a receipt describing the books, accounts, records, files *[documents and securities] so removed by him: Provided further that within twenty-four hours of the removal of the books, accounts, records, files *[documents and securities] from the premises, the Inspector shall either return them to the person from whose custody they were removed or produce them in the Court of the Magistrate who issued the warrant and such Magistrate may return the books, accounts, records, files *[documents and securities] or any of them to the person from whose custody they were removed by the Inspector, after taking from such person such security as the Magistrate considers necessary for the production of the books, accounts, records, files *[documents and securities] when required whether by the Inspector or by the Court, or may pass such other orders as to their disposal as appear just and convenient to the Magistrate. (b) An Inspector shall have authority to require any person whose testimony he may require regarding any loan or any money-lending business to attend before him or to produce or cause to be produced any document and to examine such person on oath. (4) An Inspector may apply for assistance to an officer-in-charge of a police station and take police officers to accompany and assist the Inspector in performing his duties under this Act.