law: The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 
  Chapter VII Procedure in Respect of Preliminary Inquiry and
  
  Investigation
  20. Provisions relating to complaints and preliminary
  
  inquiry and investigation.
  1.       The
  
  Lokpal on receipt of a complaint, if it decides to proceed further, may order-
  a.     
  
    preliminary inquiry against any public servant by its Inquiry
  
  Wing or any agency (including the Delhi Special Police Establishment) to
  
  ascertain whether there exists a prima facie case for proceeding in the
  
  matter; or
  b.    
  
    investigation by any agency (including the Delhi Special Police
  
  Establishment) when there exists a prima facie case:
  Provided that the Lokpal shall if it has decided to proceed with
  
  the preliminary inquiry, by a general or special order, refer the complaints or
  
  a category of complaints or a complaint received by it in respect of public
  
  servants belonging to Group A or Group B or Group C or Group D to the Central
  
  Vigilance Commission constituted under sub-section (1 ) of section 3 of
  
  the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003:
  Provided further that the Central Vigilance Commission in
  
  respect of complaints referred to it under the first proviso, after making
  
  preliminary inquiry in respect of public servants belonging to Group A and
  
  Group B, shall submit its report to the Lokpal in accordance with the
  
  provisions contained in sub-sections (2 ) and (4 ) and in case of
  
  public servants belonging to Group C and Group D, the Commission shall proceed
  
  in accordance with the provisions of the Central Vigilance Commission Act,
  
  2003:
  Provided also that before ordering an investigation under clause
  
  (b ), the Lokpal shall call for the explanation of the public servant so
  
  as to determine whether there exists a prima facie case for
  
  investigation:
  Provided also that the seeking of explanation from the public
  
  servant before an investigation shall not interfere with the search and
  
  seizure, if any, required to be undertaken by any agency (including the Delhi
  
  Special Police Establishment) under this Act.
  1.     
  
   
  2.       During
  
  the preliminary inquiry referred to in sub-section (1 ), the Inquiry Wing
  
  or any agency (including the Delhi Special Police Establishment) shall conduct
  
  a preliminary inquiry and on the basis of material, information and documents
  
  collected seek the comments on the allegations made in the complaint from the
  
  public servant and the competent authority and after obtaining the comments of
  
  the concerned public servant and the competent authority, submit, within sixty
  
  days from the date of receipt of the reference, a report to the Lokpal.
  3.       A bench
  
  consisting of not less than three Members of the Lokpal shall consider every
  
  report received under sub-section (2 ) from the Inquiry Wing or any
  
  agency (including the Delhi Special Police Establishment), and after giving an
  
  opportunity of being heard to the public servant, decide whether there exists a
  
  prima facie case, and proceed with one or more of the following actions,
  
  namely:-
  a.     
  
    investigation by any agency or the Delhi Special Police
  
  Establishment, as the case may be;
  b.    
  
    initiation of the departmental proceedings or any other
  
  appropriate action against the concerned public servants by the competent
  
  authority;
  c.     
  
    closure of the proceedings against the public servant and to
  
  proceed against the complainant under section 46.
  1.     
  
   
  2.     
  
   
  3.     
  
   
  4.       Every
  
  preliminary inquiry referred to in sub-section (1 ) shall ordinarily be
  
  completed within a period of ninety days and for reasons to be recorded in
  
  writing, within a further period of ninety days from the date of receipt of the
  
  complaint.
  5.       In case
  
  the Lokpal decides to proceed to investigate into the complaint, it shall
  
  direct any agency (including the Delhi Special Police Establishment) to carry
  
  out the investigation as expeditiously as possible and complete the
  
  investigation within a period of six months from the date of its order:
  Provided that the Lokpal may extend the said period by a further
  
  period not exceeding of six months at a time for the reasons to be recorded in
  
  writing.
  1.     
  
   
  2.     
  
   
  3.     
  
   
  4.     
  
   
  5.     
  
   
  6.       Notwithstanding
  
  anything contained in section 173 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, any
  
  agency (including the Delhi Special Police Establishment) shall, in respect of
  
  cases referred to it by the Lokpal, submit the investigation report under that
  
  section to the court having jurisdiction and forward a copy thereof to the
  
  Lokpal.
  7.       A bench
  
  consisting of not less than three Members of the Lokpal shall consider every
  
  report received by it under sub-section (6 ) from any agency (including
  
  the Delhi Special Police Establishment) and after obtaining the comments of the
  
  competent authority and the public servant may-
  a.     
  
    grant sanction to its Prosecution Wing or investigating agency
  
  to file chargesheet or direct the closure of report before the Special Court
  
  against the public servant;
  b.    
  
    direct the competent authority to initiate the departmental
  
  proceedings or any other appropriate action against the concerned public
  
  servant.
  1.     
  
   
  2.     
  
   
  3.     
  
   
  4.     
  
   
  5.     
  
   
  6.     
  
   
  7.     
  
   
  8.       The
  
  Lokpal may, after taking a decision under sub-section (7 ) on the filing
  
  of the charge-sheet, direct its Prosecution Wing or any investigating agency
  
  (including the Delhi Special Police Establishment) to initiate prosecution in
  
  the Special Court in respect of the cases investigated by the agency.
  9.       The
  
  Lokpal may, during the preliminary inquiry or the investigation, as the case
  
  may be, pass appropriate orders for the safe custody of the documents relevant
  
  to the preliminary inquiry or, as the case may be, investigation as it deems
  
  fit.
  10.    The
  
  website of the Lokpal shall, from time to time and in such manner as may be
  
  specified by regulations, display to the public, the status of number of
  
  complaints pending before it or disposed of by it.
  11.    The
  
  Lokpal may retain the original records and evidences which are likely to be required
  
  in the process of preliminary inquiry or investigation or conduct of a case by
  
  it or by the Special Court.
  12.    Save as
  
  otherwise provided, the manner and procedure of conducting a preliminary
  
  inquiry or investigation (including such material and documents to be made
  
  available to the public servant) under this Act, shall be such as may be
  
  specified by regulations.