51. Claims arising out of deductions from wages or delay in payment of wages etc., and penalty for malicious or vexatious claims -

(1) Where, contrary to the provisions of this Act, any deduction has been made from the wages of an employee in an establishment or any payment of wages or service compensation to him has been delayed, such employee himself, or if he is dead any of his dependents or any legal practitioner, or any official of a registered trade union authorised in writing to act on behalf of such employee or dependent, or any Inspector under this Act or any other person acting with the permission of the authority appointed under section 50 may apply to such authority for a direction under sub-section (2): Provided that every such application shall be presented within one year from the date on which the deduction from wages was made or from the date on which the payment of the wages or service compensation was due to be made, as the case may be: Provided further that any application may be admitted after the said period of one year when the applicant satisfies the authority that he had sufficient cause for not making the application within such period. (2) When any application under sub-section (1) is entertained the authority shall, hear the applicant and the employer or give them an opportunity of making representation either in person or through an authorised representative, and after such further inquiry, if any, as may be necessary, may, without prejudice to any other penalty to which such employer is liable under this Act, direct the refund to the employee of the amount deducted, or the payment of the delayed wages or the service compensation together with the payment of such compensation as the authority may think fit, not exceeding ten times the amount deducted or the amount of delayed wages and not exceeding ten rupees in case of service compensation: Provided that, no direction for the payment of compensation shall be made in the case of delayed wages or service compensation if the authority is satisfied that the delay was due to - (a) a bona fide error or a bona fide dispute as to the amount payable to the employee ; or (b) the existence of exceptional circumstances, such that the employer was unable, though exercising reasonable diligence, to make prompt payment; or (c) the failure of the employee to accept payment. (3) If the authority hearing any application under this section is satisfied that it was either malicious or vexatious, the authority may direct that a penalty not exceeding five rupees to be paid to the employer by the person presenting the application. (4) Any amount directed to be paid under this section may be recovered - (a) if the authority is a Magistrate, by the authority as if it were a fine imposed by him as Magistrate; and (b) if the authority is not a Magistrate, by any Magistrate to whom the authority makes an application in this behalf, as if it were a fine imposed by such Magistrate. Explanation. - For the purposes of this section, the term 'employee' shall include part-time employee also.