(1) A Committee, Advisory Committee or the Board may summon any person to appear as a witness in the course of an enquiry. Such summons may require a witness to appear before it on a date specified therein and to produce any books, papers or other documents and things in his possession or under his control relating in any manner to the enquiry.
(2) A summons under sub-rule (1) may be addressed to an individual or an organisation of employers or a registered trade union of workers.
(3) A summons under this rules may be served-
(i) in the case of an individual, by being delivered or sent to him by registered post;
(ii) in the case of an employers organisation or a registered trade union of workers, by being delivered or sent by registered post to the secretary or other principal officer of the organisation or union, as the case may be.
(4) The provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), relating to the summoning and enforcement of the appearance of witnesses and the production of documents shall, so far as may be, apply to proceedings before a Committee, Advisory Committee or the Board.
(5) All books, papers and other documents or things produced before a Committee, or the Board in pursuance of a summons issued under sub-rule (1) may be inspected by the Chairman and independent members, and also by such parties as the Chairman may allow with the consent of the other party, but the information so obtained shall be treated as 'confidential' and the same shall be made public only with the consent in writing of the party concerned:
Provided that nothing contained in this rule shall apply to the disclosure of any such information for the purposes of a prosecution under section 193 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
