Powers of Settlement Commission to grant immunity from
prosecution.
22H. (1) The
Settlement Commission may, if it is satisfied that any person who made the
application for settlement under section 22C has co-operated with the
Settlement Commission in the
proceedings before it and has made a full and true disclosure of his net
wealth and the manner in which such wealth has been acquired, grant to such
person, subject to such conditions as it may think fit to impose, immunity from
prosecution for any offence under this Act or under the Indian Penal Code (45
of 1860) or under any other Central Act for the time being in force 66[and also (either wholly or in part) from the
imposition of any penalty] under this Act, with respect to the case covered by
the settlement:
67[Provided that no such immunity shall be granted by the
Settlement Commission in cases where the proceedings for the prosecution for
any such offence have been instituted before the date of receipt of the application
under section 22C:]
67a[Provided further that the Settlement Commission shall not
grant immunity from prosecution for any offence under the Indian Penal Code (45
of 1860) or under any Central Act other than this Act and Income-tax Act, 1961
(43 of 1961) to a person who makes an application under section 22C on or after
the 1st day of June, 2007.]
68[(1A) An immunity granted to a person under sub-section (1) shall stand
withdrawn if such person fails to pay any sum specified in the order of
settlement passed under sub-section (4) of section 22D within the time
specified in such order or within such further time as may be allowed by the
Settlement Commission, or fails to comply with any other condition subject to
which the immunity was granted and thereupon the provisions of this Act shall
apply as if such immunity had not been granted.]
(2) An immunity granted to a person under sub-section (1) may, at any
time, be withdrawn by the Settlement Commission, if it is satisfied that such
person 69[* * *] had, in the course of the settlement proceedings, concealed any
particular material to the settlement or had given false evidence, and
thereupon such person may be tried for the offence with respect to which the
immunity was granted or for any other offence of which he appears to have been
guilty in connection with the settlement and shall also become liable to the
imposition of any penalty under this Act to which such person would have been liable, had no such
immunity been granted.