Presumption in prosecutions for contravention of orders and privilege of public officers not to disclose facts or to produce documents

Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, in a prosecution for an offence for the contravention of any order under this Act, on the production of an authentic copy of the order—

(1) it shall, until the contrary is proved be presumed,—

(a) that the order was made by the authority competent under this Act to make it ;

(b) that the authority making the order was satisfied that the grounds on or the purpose for which it was made existed and that it was necessary to make the same; and

(c) that the order was otherwise valid and in conformity with the provisions of this Act;

and no public officer shall be compelled to disclose any fact or to produce any document when he considered that the public interest would suffer by the disclosure of such fact or the production of such document although such fact or document may be relevant to any of the matters contained in the order.

Explanation.—For purpose of this Act, an authentic copy of the order means a copy certified in a manner prescribed under section 76 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 or if this Act requires that the order be published in the Official Gazette a copy of the Official Gazette relating to the publication of the order.