217. Complaints against insolvency professional agency or its member or information utility.—
Any person aggrieved by the functioning of an insolvency professional agency or insolvency professional
or an information utility may file a complaint to the Board in such form, within such time and in such
manner as may be specified.
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218. Investigation of insolvency professional agency or its member or information
utility.—(1) Where the Board, on receipt of a complaint under section 217 or has reasonable grounds to
believe that any insolvency professional agency or insolvency professional or an information utility has
contravened any of the provisions of the Code or the rules or regulations made or directions issued by the
Board thereunder, it may, at any time by an order in writing, direct any person or persons to act as an
investigating authority to conduct an inspection or investigation of the insolvency professional agency or
insolvency professional or an information utility.
(2) The inspection or investigation carried out under sub-section (1) of this section shall be conducted
within such time and in such manner as may be specified by regulations.
(3) The Investigating Authority may, in the course of such inspection or investigation, require any
other person who is likely to have any relevant document, record or information to furnish the same, and
such person shall be bound to furnish such document, record or information:
Provided that the Investigating Authority shall provide detailed reasons to such person before
requiring him to furnish such document, record or information.
(4) The Investigating Authority may, in the course of its inspection or investigation, enter any
building or place where they may have reasons to believe that any such document, record or information
relating to the subject-matter of the inquiry may be found and may seize any such document, record or
information or take extracts or copies therefrom, subject to the provisions of section 100 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), insofar as they may be applicable.
(5) The Investigating Authority shall keep in its custody the books, registers, other documents and
records seized under this section for such period not later than the conclusion of the investigation as it
considers necessary and thereafter shall return the same to the concerned person from whose custody or
power they were seized:
Provided that the Investigating Authority may, before returning such books, registers, other
documents and record as aforesaid, place identification marks on them or any part thereof.
(6) A detailed report of inspection or investigation shall be submitted to the Board by the
Investigating Authority.
219. Show cause notice to insolvency professional agency or its member or information
utility.—The Board may, upon completion of an inspection or investigation under section 218, issue a
show cause notice to such insolvency professional agency or insolvency professional or information
utility, and carry out inspection of such insolvency professional agency or insolvency professional or
information utility in such manner, giving such time for giving reply, as may be specified by regulations.
220. Appointment of disciplinary committee.—(1) The Board shall constitute a disciplinary
committee to consider the reports of the investigating Authority submitted under sub-section (6) of
section 218:
Provided that the members of the disciplinary committee shall consist of whole-time members of the
Board only.
(2) On the examination of the report of the Investigating Authority, if the disciplinary committee is
satisfied that sufficient cause exists, it may impose penalty as specified in sub-section (3) or suspend or
cancel the registration of the insolvency professional or, suspend or cancel the registration of insolvency
professional agency or information utility as the case may be.
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(3) Where any insolvency professional agency or insolvency professional or an information utility has
contravened any provision of this Code or rules or regulations made thereunder, the disciplinary
committee may impose penalty which shall be—
(i) three times the amount of the loss caused, or likely to have been caused, to persons concerned
on account of such contravention; or
(ii) three times the amount of the unlawful gain made on account of such contravention,
whichever is higher:
Provided that where such loss or unlawful gain is not quantifiable, the total amount of the penalty
imposed shall not exceed more than one crore rupees.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (3), the Board may direct any person who has
made unlawful gain or averted loss by indulging in any activity in contravention of this Code, or the rules
or regulations made thereunder, to disgorge an amount equivalent to such unlawful gain or aversion of
loss.
(5) The Board may take such action as may be required to provide restitution to the person who
suffered loss on account of any contravention from the amount so disgorged, if the person who suffered
such loss is identifiable and the loss so suffered is directly attributable to such person.
(6) The Board may make regulations to specify—
(a) the procedure for claiming restitution under sub-section (5);
(b) the period within which such restitution may be claimed; and
(c) the manner in which restitution of amount may be made.