Answering incriminating questions and certificate of indemnity

(1) No witness shall be excused from answering any question as to any matter relevant to a matter in issue in the trial of an election petition on the ground that the answer to such question may incriminate him or may tend to incriminate him or may expose him to any penalty or forfeiture: Provided that: (a) a witness who answers truly all such questions which he is required to answer shall be entitled to receive a certificate of indemnity from the Election Tribunal; and (b) an answer given by a witness to a question put by or before the authorized officer shall not be admissible in evidence against him in any civil or criminal proceeding, except in the case of a criminal proceeding regarding the perjury of such evidence. (2) When a witness has been given a certificate of indemnity, it may be pleaded by him in any court and he shall be given full protection against any charge arising out of the matter which such certificate relates to, under Chapter 9-A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, but it shall not be deemed to release him from any disqualification relating to the election imposed by this Act or any other law.