Power to summon and enforce attendance of witnesses and production of documents

Power to summon and enforce attendance of witnesses and production of documents.—(1) The Collector or the Authority, as the case may be, for the purposes of enquiries under this Act, shall have the same powers as are vested in a Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) while trying a suit, in respect of the following matters, namely:—

1. (a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath;
2. (b) discovery and production of any document or other material object producible as evidence;
3. (c) reception of evidence on affidavits;
4. (d) requisitioning of any public record from any court or office;
5. (e) issuing commission for examination of witnesses or documents;
6. (f) any other matter which may be prescribed.

1. (2) Every enquiry before the Collector or Authority shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of section 193 and section 228 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) and the Collector or the Authority, as the case may be, shall be deemed to be a Civil Court for the purposes of section 195 and Chapter XXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).