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The Money-Lenders Act, 1940 (Bengal Act)

( ACT NO. X OF 1940 )

Chapter III

REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF MONEY-LENDERS

Court’s power to cancel a licence
20. (1) A Competent Court on an application under section 19 or a Court trying a suit to which this Act applies or a Court passing an order of conviction upon a money-lender for an offence under this Act, if satisfied that the money-lender has committed such contravention of the provisions of this Act or of the rules made thereunder as, in its opinion, makes him unfit to carry on the business of money-lending-
 
 
(a) shall cause the particulars of the conviction, if any, and of any order passed by the Court under this sub-section to be endorsed on the licence held by the money-lender or by any other person affected by such order; and
 
 
 
 
(b) may declare such money-lender or any person responsible for the management of his money-lending business or both disqualified for holding a licence for such period as the Court may think fit and shall cancel and impound the licence held by the money-lender:
 
 
Provided that, except in the case of an order passed by a District Court or by the Court of an Additional District Judge, the period of disqualification shall not exceed one year.
 
 
 
 
(2) If a Court other than a District Court or the Court of an Additional District Judge is of opinion that a period of disqualification exceeding one year should be imposed, it shall record its opinion and forward the proceedings to the District Court having jurisdiction in the place where such Court is held.
 
 
 
 
(3) The District Court to which such proceedings are submitted may, if it thinks fit, examine the parties and recall and examine any person who has already given evidence in the proceedings, and may call for and take any further evidence, and shall pass such order in the case as it thinks fit in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1).
 
 
 
 
(4) Any person aggrieved by the decision of a Court under this section may appeal against such order, to the Court to which an appeal ordinarily lies from the decision of the Court passing the order; and the Court which passed the order or the Court of appeal may, if it thinks fit, stay the operation of the order under this section pending the disposal of the appeal:
 
 
 
 
Provided that where the Court of appeal sets aside or varies an order passed under this section, it shall order that any endorsements made in pursuance thereof upon a licence held by a money-lender shall be erased or modified.
 
 
 
 
(5) The substance of any order passed under sub-section (1), sub-section (3) or sub-section (4) shall be sent forthwith in the prescribed form by the Court passing the order to the Principal Registrar and also together with the cancelled licence to the Sub-Registrar who maintains the register in which the licence affected has been entered for entry in the said register and for such circulation of the substance of the said order to other Registrars as may be prescribed.
 
 
 
 
(6) Any licence required by a Court for endorsement under sub-section (1) shall be produced in such manner and at such time as the Court may direct by the person by whom it is held, and any person who without reasonable cause makes default
 
 
herein shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty Taka for each day of the period during which the default continues.
 
 
 
 
(7) The powers conferred on a Court under sub-section (1) may be exercised by a Court in appeal or in revision.

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Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs