(1) These rules may be called the Prevention of Money-laundering (the Manner of Forwarding a Copy of the Order of Retention of Seized Property along with the Material to the Adjudicating Authority and the Period of its Retention) Rules, 2005.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

(1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires,

(a) Act means the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 (15 of 2003);

(b) Adjudicating Authority means an Adjudicating Authority appointed under sub-section (1) of Section 6 of the Act;

(c) authorised officer means an officer authorised by the Director under sub-section (1) of Section 20 of the Act.

(d) designated officer means the officer designated by the Adjudicating Authority for the purpose of sub-rule (1) of Rule 4;

(e) Form means forms appended to these rules;

2[(f) material means any material in possession of the officer authorized under sub-section (1) of Section 20 of the Act including,

(i) a report forwarded to a Magistrate under Section 157 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) or a complaint filed before a Magistrate or a court by a person authorized to investigate the scheduled offence for taking cognizance of such scheduled offence;

(ii) report forwarded to a Magistrate under Section 173 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) or a complaint filed before a Magistrate or a court by a person authorized to investigate the scheduled offence for taking cognizance of such scheduled offence.]

(g) order means the order for retention of the property for the purposes of adjudication;

(h) seized property means any property seized under Section 17 or Section 18 of the Act;

(i) Schedule means the Schedule of the Act;

(j) section means a section of the Act.

(2) All other words and expressions used and not defined in these rules but defined in the Act shall have the meaning respectively assigned to them in the Act.

(1) The authorised officer shall prepare the index of the copy of the order of retention of the seized property and the material and sign each page of such index of the copy of the order and the material and shall also write a letter while forwarding such index of the copy of the order and the material to the Adjudicating Authority in a sealed envelope.

(2) The authorised officer shall place an acknowledgement slip in Form-I appended to these rules inside the envelope before sealing it.

(3) The authorised officer shall indicate a reference number and date of despatch on the sealed envelope.

(4) The sealed envelope shall be marked Confidential and To be opened by the addressee only , the complete address of the Adjudicating Authority including his name shall be mentioned on the sealed envelope, with official seal.

(5) The authorised officer shall place the sealed envelope inside an outer envelope, along with an acknowledgement slip in Form-II appended to these rules.

(6) The outer envelope shall be sealed and complete address of the Adjudicating Authority shall be mentioned on the sealed outer envelope.

(7) The authorised officer shall maintain registers and other records such as acknowledgement slip register, dak register for the purposes of this rule and shall ensure that necessary entries are made in the register immediately as soon as the copy of the order and the material are forwarded to the Adjudicating Authority.

(1) On receipt of the outer sealed envelope along with Form-II, the Adjudicating Authority or in his absence, the designated officer of the office of Adjudicating Authority shall forward Form-II duly filled in, signed and his name legibly written below his signature. The seal of the office of the Adjudicating Authority shall be affixed before forwarding the Form-II to the authorised officer as a token of receipt of the sealed envelope.

(2) The Adjudicating Authority shall, on opening of the sealed envelope, forward Form-I duly filled in, signed and his name legibly written below his signature. The seal of the office of the Adjudicating Authority shall be affixed before forwarding Form-I to the authorised officer as a token of receipt of the copy of the order of retention of seized property and the material.

(3) The Adjudicating Authority shall maintain registers and other records such as acknowledgement slip register, dak register, and register showing details of receipt of the copy of the order of retention along with the material for the purposes of this rule and shall ensure that necessary entries are made in the registers immediately on receipt of such order and the material.

The Adjudicating Authority shall keep the copy of the order of retention of seized property and the material for a period of ten years or if, before the expiry of the said period of ten years,

(i) any proceedings under Section 8 of the Act have been commenced, until the disposal of such proceedings, or

(ii) where an appeal has been preferred to the Appellate Tribunal under Section 26 of the Act, until the disposal of such appeal by the Appellate Tribunal, or

(iii) where an appeal has been filed in the High Court under Section 42 of the Act, until the disposal of such appeal by the High Court,

whichever is later.

If any question arises relating to the interpretation of these rules, the matter shall be referred to the Central Government and the decision of the Central Government shall be final.

[See sub-rule (2) of Rule 3]

Serial Number

Received the copy of the order of retention of seized property and the material bearing number ., dated

from . (the designation of the authorized officer) on . (date) at . (time)

(Signature of the Adjudicating Authority)

Date:

(Name of the Adjudicating Authority)

(Office Seal)

To

(The designation of the authorized officer)

Address

[See sub-rule (5) of Rule 3]

Serial Number

Received a sealed envelope bearing number , dated . from (the designation of the authorized officer) on (date) at (time)

Signature of the Adjudicating Authority/

designated officer of the office of

Adjudicating Authority

Name of the Adjudicating Authority/

designated officer of the office of

Adjudicating Authority

(Office Seal)

To

(the designation of the authorized officer)

Address

1. Vide Ministry of Finance (Deptt. of Revenue), Noti. No. G.S.R. 447(E), dated July 1, 2005, published in the Gazette of India, Extra., Part II, Section 3(i), dated 1st July, 2005, pp. 84-87, No. 292.

2. Subs. by G.S.R. 20(E), dt. 7-1-2010 (w.e.f. 7-1-2010). Prior to substitution it read as: (f) material means any material in the possession of the authorised officer on the basis of which he has recorded reasons under sub-section (1) of Section 20 of the Act including (i) a report forwarded to the Magistrate under Section 173 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) in relation to an offence under Paragraph 1 of Part A, or Paragraph 1 or Paragraph 2 or Paragraph 3 or Paragraph 4 or Paragraph 5 of Part B, of the Schedule; or (ii) a police report or a complaint filed for taking cognizance of an offence by the Special Court constituted under sub-section (1) of Section 36 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (61 of 1985) in relation to an offence under Paragraph 2 of Part A of the Schedule;