Section 27: Inspectors

(1) The appropriate Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint such person as it thinks fit to be Inspectors for the purposes of this Act and may define the limits within which they shall exercise jurisdiction.

(2) An Inspector appointed under sub-section (1) may, for the purpose of ascertaining whether any of the provisions of this Act has been complied with—

(a) require an employer to furnish such information as he may consider necessary;

(b) at any reasonable time and with such assistance, if any, as he thinks fit, enter any establishment or any premises connected therewith and require any one found in charge thereof to produce before him for examination any accounts, books, registers and other documents relating to the employment of persons or the payment of salary of wage or bonus in the establishment;

(c) examine with respect to any matter relevant to any of the purposes aforesaid, the employer, his agent or servant or any other person found in charge of the establishment or any premises connected therewith or any person whom the Inspector has reasonable cause to believe to be or to have been an employee in the establishment;

(d) make copies of, or take extracts from, any book, register or other document maintained in relation to the establishment;

(e) exercise such other powers as may be prescribed.

(3) Every Inspector shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of the Indian penal Code (45 of 1860).

(4) Any person required to produce any accounts, book, register or other documents or to give information by an Inspector under sub-section (1) shall be legally bound to do so. [(5) Nothing contained in this section shall enable an Inspector to require a banking company to furnish or disclose any statement or information or to produce, or give inspection of, any of its books of account or other documents, which a banking company cannot be compelled to furnish, disclose, produce or give inspection of, under the provisions of section 34A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949).]