Section 54: Certain officers to assist in inquiry etc.

The following ¹[officers and others] are hereby empowered and required to assist the authorities in the enforcement of this Act, namely:--

(a) officers of the Customs and Central Excise Departments;

(b) officers appointed under sub-section (1) of section 5 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (61 of 1985);

(c) income-tax authorities under sub-section (1) of section 117 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961);

²[(d) members of the recognised stock exchange referred to in clause (f) of section 2 and the officers of the stock exchanges recognised under section 4 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (42 of 1956);]

(e) officers of the Reserve Bank of India constituted under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934);

(f) officers of Police;

(g) officers of enforcement appointed under sub-section (1) of section 36 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (40 of 1999);

(h) officers of the Securities and Exchange Board of India established under section 3 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992);

³[(ha) officers of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority established under section 3 of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 (41 of 1999);

(hb) officers of the Forward Markets Commission established under section 3 of the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952 (74 of 1952);

(hc) officers and members of the recognised association recognised under section 6 of the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952 (74 of 1952);

(hd) officers of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority;

(he) officers of the Department of Posts in the Government of India;

(hf) Registrars or Sub-Registrars appointed by the State Governments under section 6 of the Registration Act, 1908 (16 of 1908);

(hg) registering authority empowered to register motor vehicles under Chapter IV of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988);

(hh) officers and members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India constituted under section 3 of the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 (38 of 1949);

(hi) officers and members of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India constituted under section 3 of the Cost and Works Accountants Act, 1959 (23 of 1959);

(hj) officers and members of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India constituted under section 3 of the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 (56 of 1980);]

(i) officers of any other body corporate constituted or established under a Central Act or a State Act;

(j) such other officers of the Central Government, State Government, local authorities or ⁴[reporting entities] as the Central Government may, by notification, specify, in this behalf.