law: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 2013
  17.
  
     Search
  
  and seizure.
  1.   Where the Authority,
  
  in consequence of information in its possession, has reason to believe that-
  a.  
  
    any
  
  person who has been required under sub-section ( 3 ) of section 16 to
  
  produce, or cause to be produced, any books, accounts or other documents in his
  
  custody or power has omitted or failed to produce, or cause to be produced,
  
  such books, accounts or other documents; or
  b.  
  
    any
  
  person to whom a requisition to produce any books, accounts or other documents
  
  as aforesaid has been or might be issued will not, or would not, produce or
  
  cause to be produced, any books, accounts or other documents which will be
  
  useful for, or relevant to, an investigation under sub-section ( 1 ) of
  
  section 16; or ( c ) a contravention of any provision of this Act has been
  
  committed or is likely to be committed by an intermediary; or
  c.  
  
    any
  
  claim which is due to be settled by the intermediary, has been or is likely to
  
  be rejected or settled at a figure higher than a reasonable amount; or
  d.  
  
    any
  
  claim which is due to be settled by an intermediary, has been or is likely to
  
  be rejected or settled at a figure lower than a reasonable amount; or
  e.  
  
    any
  
  illegal fees and charges have been transacted or are likely to be transacted by
  
  an intermediary; or
  f.  
  
    any
  
  books, accounts, papers, receipts, vouchers, survey reports or other documents,
  
  belonging to an intermediary are likely to be tampered with, falsified or
  
  manufactured, it may authorise any officer of the Authority, not below the rank
  
  equivalent to that of a Gazetted Officer of the Government (hereafter referred
  
  to as the authorised officer), to-
   
  
   i.  
  
    enter
  
  and search any building or place where he has reason to suspect that such
  
  books, accounts or other documents, or any books or papers relating to any
  
  claim, rebate or commission or any receipts, vouchers, reports or other
  
  documents are kept;
   
  
   ii.  
  
    break
  
  open the lock of any box, locker, safe, almirah or other receptacle for
  
  exercising the powers conferred by clause ( i ) where the keys thereof are
  
  not available;
   
  
   iii.  
  
    seize
  
  all or any such books, accounts or other documents, found as a result of such
  
  search;
   
  
   iv.  
  
    place
  
  marks of identification on such books, accounts or other documents or make or
  
  cause to be made extracts or copies there from.
  1.  
  2.   The authorised
  
  officer may requisition the services of any police officer or of any officer of
  
  the Central Government, or of both, to assist him for all or any of the
  
  purposes specified in sub-section ( 1 ) and it shall be the duty of every
  
  such police officer or officer to comply with such requisition.
  3.   The authorised officer
  
  may, where it is not practicable to seize any such book, account or other
  
  document, specified in sub-section ( 1 ), serve an order on the person who
  
  is in immediate possession or control thereof that he shall not remove, part
  
  with or otherwise deal with it except with the previous permission of such
  
  officer and such officer may take such steps as may be necessary for ensuring
  
  compliance with this sub-section.
  4.   The authorised
  
  officer may, during the course of the search or seizure, examine on oath any
  
  person who is found to be in possession or control of any books, accounts or
  
  other documents, and any statement made by such person during such examination
  
  may thereafter be used in evidence in any proceeding under this Act.
  5.   The books, accounts,
  
  papers, receipts, vouchers, reports, or other documents seized under
  
  sub-section ( 1 ) shall not be retained by the authorised officer for a
  
  period exceeding one hundred and eighty days from the date of the seizure
  
  unless the reasons for retaining the same are recorded by him in writing and
  
  the approval of the Authority for such retention is obtained:
  Provided that the Authority shall not authorise the retention of the books, accounts, papers,
  
  receipts, vouchers, reports, or other documents for a period exceeding thirty days
  
  after all the proceedings under this Act, for which the books, accounts,
  
  papers, receipts, vouchers, reports, or other documents are relevant, are
  
  completed.
  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  
  5.  
  6.   The person from whose
  
  custody the books, accounts, papers, receipts, vouchers, reports, or other
  
  documents are seized under sub-section ( 1 ) may make copies thereof, or
  
  take extracts there from, in the presence of the authorised officer or any
  
  other person empowered by him in this behalf at such place and time as the
  
  authorised officer may appoint in this behalf.
  7.   If a person legally
  
  entitled to the books, accounts, papers, receipts, vouchers, reports or other
  
  documents seized under sub-section ( 1 ) objects for any reason to the
  
  approval given by the Authority under sub-section ( 5 ), he may make an
  
  application to the Central Government stating therein the reason for such
  
  objection and requesting for the return of the books, accounts, papers,
  
  receipts, vouchers, report or other documents.
  8.   On receipt of the
  
  application under sub-section ( 7 ), the Central Government may, after
  
  giving the applicant an opportunity of being heard, pass such order as it
  
  thinks fit.
  9.   The provisions of the
  
  Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 relating to searches and seizures shall apply,
  
  so far as may be, to every search and seizure made under sub-section ( 1 ).
  10.   The Central
  
  Government may, by notification, make rules in relation to any search or
  
  seizure under this section and in particular, and without prejudice to the
  
  generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for the procedure to
  
  be followed by the authorised officer,-
   
  
   i.  
  
    for
  
  obtaining ingress into such building or place to be searched where free ingress
  
  thereto is not available;
   
  
   ii.  
  
    for
  
  ensuring safe custody of any books, accounts, papers, receipts, vouchers,
  
  reports, or other documents seized under this section.