Section 11 — Inquiry into complaint.

11. Inquiry into complaint.— (1) Subject to the provisions of section 10, the Internal Committee or 

the Local Committee, as the case may be, shall, where the respondent is an employee, proceed to make 

inquiry into the complaint in accordance with the provisions of the service rules applicable to the 

respondent and where no such rules exist, in such manner as may be prescribed or in case of a domestic 

worker, the Local Committee shall, if prima facie case exist, forward the complaint to the police, within a 

period of seven days for registering the case under section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), and 

any other relevant provisions of the said Code where applicable: 



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Provided that where the aggrieved woman informs the Internal Committee or the Local Committee, as 

the case may be, that any term or condition of the settlement arrived at under sub-section (2) of section 10 

has not been complied with by the respondent, the Internal Committee or the Local Committee shall 

proceed to make an inquiry into the complaint or, as the case may be, forward the complaint to the police: 

Provided further that where both the parties are employees, the parties shall, during the course of 

inquiry, be given an opportunity of being heard and a copy of the findings shall be made available to both 

the parties enabling them to make representation against the findings before the Committee. 

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), the 

court may, when the respondent is convicted of the offence, order payment of such sums as it may 

consider appropriate, to the aggrieved woman by the respondent, having regard to the provisions of 

section 15. 

(3) For the purpose of making an inquiry under sub-section (1), the Internal Committee or the Local 

Committee, as the case may be, shall have the same powers as are vested in a civil court the Code of Civil 

Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) when trying a suit in respect of the following matters, namely:— 

(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath; 

(b) requiring the discovery and production of documents; and 

(c) any other matter which may be prescribed. 

(4) The inquiry under sub-section (1) shall be completed within a period of ninety days. 

CHAPTER V 

INQUIRY INTO COMPLAINT