209. Search and seizure
(1) Where, upon information in his possession or otherwise, the Registrar or
inspector has reasonable ground to believe that the books and papers of a company, or
relating to the key managerial personnel or any director or auditor or company secretary in
practice if the company has not appointed a company secretary, are likely to be destroyed,
mutilated, altered, falsified or secreted, he may, after obtaining an order from the
Special Court for the seizure of such books and papers,—
(a) enter, with such assistance as may be required, and search, the place or
places where such books or papers are kept; and
(b) seize such books and papers as he considers necessary after allowing the
company to take copies of, or extracts from, such books or papers at its cost.
(2) The Registrar or inspector shall return the books and papers seized under subsection
(1), as soon as may be, and in any case not later than one hundred and eightieth day
after such seizure, to the company from whose custody or power such books or papers were
seized:
Provided that the books and papers may be called for by the Registrar or inspector for a
further period of one hundred and eighty days by an order in writing if they are needed again:
Provided further that the Registrar or inspector may, before returning such books
and papers as aforesaid, take copies of, or extracts from them or place identification marks
on them or any part thereof or deal with the same in such other manner as he considers
necessary.
(3) The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 relating to searches
or seizures shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to every search and seizure made under this
section.