Offences and penalty

Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this Act or produces a false certificate or makes a false claim regarding his social status shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine or with both. (1) Where a Social Status Certificate has been. cancelled under Section 8, the person obtaining such Certificate shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term. which shall not be less than three months but which may extend to two years and with. fine, which shall not be less than two thousand rupees and which may extend to twenty thousand rupees. (2) No court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under this section except upon a complaint, in writing, made by the High Power Certification Scrutiny Committee or on its behalf by any person so authorized by the High Power Certification Scrutiny Committee for this purpose.