(1) Any information obtained by the 2[Lokpal or the Up- Lokpal, as the case may be,] or by any officer, employee, agency or 1Substituted for words “Lokpal” by Punjab Act No. 22 of 2013, Section 8 2Substituted for words “Lokpal” by Punjab Act No. 22 of 2013, Section 8 Expenditure on Lokpal or the Up-Lokpal to be charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State.
Secrecy of Information.
person referred to in section 8, in the course of or for the purposes of any verification or inquiry under this Act, and any evidence recorded or collected in connection therewith shall be treated as confidential and, notwithstanding anything contained in the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 no court shall be entitled to compel the 1[Lokpal or the Up-Lokpal, as the case may be,] or any such officer, employee, agency or person to give evidence relating to such information or to produce the evidence so recorded or collected.
(2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall apply to the disclosure of the information or evidence referred to therein -
(a) for the purpose of this Act or for the purposes of any action or proceedings to be taken on any report under section 16, or
(b) for the purposes of any proceedings, for any offence of giving or fabricating false evidence under the Indian Penal Code, 1860, or
(c) for such other purposes, as may be prescribed.