12. Action against any authority for vexatious order or willful under-assessment etc.
(1) The Commissioner may,-
(i) on receipt of any complaint in the prescribed form from any dealer or person liable to pay tax under this Act or from any authority appointed under section 10, that any particular authority has made in the proceedings of such dealer or person a false or vexatious order or has taken any action under this Act vindictively or has vindictively not acted within a reasonable time upon any application provided for by or under this Act, or
(ii) on receipt of a report from the Tribunal that, a particular authority has knowingly or willfully under-assessed any dealer or person or has passed a false or vexatious order or has taken any action under this Act vindictively, or has vindictively not acted in any reasonable time upon any application provided for, by or under this Act, or
(iii) on his own motion, if he has reason to believe that any authority has passed such order or taken such action or has made such under-assessment, or has not so acted upon any application,
1[***] initiate appropriate enquiry or action in the matter, and if in his opinion, prima facie case against such particular authority or officer exists, he may initiate appropriate action against such authority under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979, or the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979, or any other relevant rules for the time being in force. The Commissioner shall within one year of the receipt of the complaint referred to in clause (i) or report referred to in clause (ii), send an intimation to the person or dealer making the said complaint or to the Tribunal, stating therein whether he has decided to initiate or has initiated any action against the concerned authority or officer.
(2) The Commissioner may, on finding that any complaint made by any dealer or person is false or mischievous or has been made with a view to defeating the application or purposes of this Act, within one year of the receipt of the complaint, after giving the person or the dealer a reasonable opportunity of being beard, impose on him such fine not exceeding five thousand rupees as he deems fit and the fine so levied may be recovered in the manner provided in this Act for recovery of arrears of tax.
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1. These words were deleted by Mah. Act No. XIV of 2005, dated the 31st March, 2005 w.e.f. 1.4.2005. |