Section 209 — Search and seizure

(1) Where, upon information in his possession or otherwise, the Registrar
or inspector has reasonable ground to believe that the books and papers of a company, or relating to the key
managerial personnel or any director or auditor or company secretary in practice if the company has not
appointed a company secretary, are likely to be destroyed, mutilated, altered, falsified or secreted, he may,
after obtaining an order from the Special Court for the seizure of such books and papers,—
(a) enter, with such assistance as may be required, and search, the place or places where such books
or papers are kept; and
(b) seize such books and papers as he considers necessary after allowing the company to take copies
of, or extracts from, such books or papers at its cost.
(2) The Registrar or inspector shall return the books and papers seized under sub -section (1), as soon
as may be, and in any case not later than one hundred and eightieth day after such seizure, to the company
from whose custody or power such books or papers were seized:
Provided that the books and papers may be called for by the Registrar or inspector for a further period
of one hundred and eighty days by an order in writing if they are needed again:
Provided further that the Registrar or inspector may, before returning such books and papers as
aforesaid, take copies of, or extracts from them or place identification marks on them or any part thereof or
deal with the same in such other manner as he considers necessary.
(3) The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) relating to searches or seizures