Section 30: Cognizance of offences

The Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 was repealed and replaced by the Code on Wages, 2019 from 21 November 2025. It still applies to matters and proceedings from before that date, as the repealing law provides.

(1) No court shall take cognizance of any offence punishable under this Act, save on complaint made by or under the authority of the appropriate Government [or an officer of that Government (not below the rank of a Regional Labour Commissioner in the case of an officer of the Central Government, and not below the rank of a Labour Commissioner in the case of an officer of the State Government) specially authorised in this behalf by that Government].

(2) No court inferior to that of a presidency magistrate or a magistrate of the first class shall try any offence punishable under this Act.

Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the text of the Act as it stood before its repeal. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 30

No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.