53. Manner of holding enquiry:––

(1) Where a complaint is filed before the officer appointed under sub-section (1) of section 53 (hereinafter in this rule referred to as “the officer”) in respect of the offences referred to in said sub-section, either by an officer authorised for such purpose by the Central Government or by an employee aggrieved or a registered trade union registered under the Industrial Relations

Code, 2020 (35 of 2020) or an Inspector-cum-Facilitator, the officer after considering such evidence as produced by the complainant, is of the opinion that an offence has been committed, shall issue summons to the offender on the address specified in the complaint fixing a date for his appearance.

(2) If the offender to whom the summons has been issued under sub-rule (1) appears or is produced before the officer, the officer shall explain the offender the offence complained against and if the offender pleads guilty, the officer shall impose penalty in accordance with the provisions of the Code and if the offender does not plead guilty, the officer shall take evidence of the witnesses produced by the complainant on oath and provide opportunity of cross examination of the witnesses so produced.

(3) The officer shall record in writing the statement of the witnesses on oath and in cross examination and take the documentary evidence on record.

(4) The officer shall, after the complainant’s evidence is complete, provide an opportunity of defence to the accused person and the witnesses produced by the accused shall be cross examined after their statements on oath by the complainant and documentary evidence in defence shall be taken on record by the officer.

(5) The officer shall after hearing the parties and considering the evidence both oral and documentary, decide the complaint in accordance with the provisions of the Code.