law: Special Marriage Act, 1954 
  9. Powers of Marriage Officers in
  
  respect of inquiries
  (1) For the purpose of
  
  any inquiry under section 8, the Marriage Officer shall have all the powers vested
  
  in a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, when trying a suit in
  
  respect of the following matters, namely :-
  (a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of
  
  witnesses and examining them on oath;
  (b) discovery and
  
  inspection ;
  (c) compelling the
  
  production of documents ;
  (d) reception of
  
  evidence on affidavits ; and
  (e) issuing
  
  commissions for the examination of witnesses ;
  and any proceeding before the Marriage Officer
  
  shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of section 193
  
  of the Indian Penal Code.
  Explanation.- For the purpose of
  
  enforcing the attendance of any person to give evidence, the local limits of
  
  the jurisdiction of the Marriage Officer shall be the local limits of his
  
  district.
  (2) If it appears to
  
  the Marriage Officer that the objection made to an intended marriage is not
  
  reasonable and has not been made in good faith he may impose on the person
  
  objecting cost by way of compensation not exceeding one thousand rupees and
  
  award the whole or any part thereof to the parties to the intended marriage,
  
  and any order for costs so made may be executed in the sane manner as a decree
  
  passed by the district court within the local limits of whose jurisdiction the
  
  Marriage officer has his office.