law: Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 
  16. Appointment of Adjudicating Authority 
  (1) For the purpose of adjudication under section 13, the
  
  Central Government may, by an order published in the Official Gazette, appoint
  
  as many officers of the Central Government as it may think fit, as the
  
  Adjudicating Authorities for holding an inquiry in the manner prescribed after
  
  giving the person alleged to have committed contravention under section 13,
  
  against whom a complaint has been made under sub-section (2) (hereinafter in
  
  this section referred to as the said person) a reasonable opportunity of
  
  being heard for the purpose of imposing any penalty:
  Provided  that where the Adjudicating Authority is of
  
  opinion that the said person is likely to abscond or is likely to evade in any
  
  manner, the payment of penalty, if levied, it may direct the said person to
  
  furnish a bond or guarantee for such amount and subject to such conditions as
  
  it may deem fit.
  (2) The Central Government shall, while appointing the
  
  Adjudicating Authorities under sub-section (1), also specify in the order
  
  published in the Official Gazette their respective jurisdiction.
  (3) No Adjudicating Authority shall hold an enquiry under
  
  sub-section (1) except upon a complaint in writing made by any officer
  
  authorized by a general or special order by the Central Government.
  (4) The said person may appear either in person or take the
  
  assistance of a legal practitioner or a chartered accountant of his choice for
  
  presenting his case before the Adjudicating Authority
  (5) Every Adjudicating Authority shall have the same powers of a
  
  civil court which are conferred on the Appellate Tribunal under sub-section (2)
  
  of section 28 and;- 
  a. proceedings before
  
  it shall be deemed to be judicial proceedings within the meaning of sections
  
  193 and 228 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (45 of 1860);
  b. shall be deemed to
  
  be a civil court for the purposes of sections 345 and 346 of the Code of
  
  Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).
  (6) Every Adjudicating Authority shall deal with the compliant
  
  under sub-section (2) as expeditiously as possible and endeavor shall be made
  
  to dispose off the complaint finally within one year from the date of receipt
  
  of the complaint:
  Provided  that where the complaint cannot be disposed
  
  off within the said period, the Adjudicating Authority shall record
  
  periodically the reasons in writing for not disposing off the complaint within
  
  the said period.