6Immunities

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Wealth-tax Act, 1957 (27 of 1957), the Gift-tax Act, 1958 (18 of 1958), the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (46 of 1973) and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 (46 of 1976),--

(a) no non-resident Indian or overseas corporate body who or which owns the Foreign Exchange Bonds or any person resident in India to whom a gift of such Bonds has been made by such nonresident Indian or overseas corporate body, shall be required to disclose, for any purpose whatsoever, the nature and source of the investment in such Bonds;

(b) no inquiry or investigation shall be commenced against any of the persons referred to in clause (a) under any of the said Acts on the ground that such person owns such Bonds;

(c) the fact that any of the persons referred to in clause (a) owns such Bonds shall not be taken into account and shall be inadmissible as evidence in any proceedings relating to any offence or the imposition of any penalty under any of the said Acts.

(2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall apply to foreign exchange which is required to be brought into India under any of the provisions of--

(i) the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (46 of 1973);or

(ii) the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), read with the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (46 of 1973),

if the period within which such foreign exchange is to be brought into India has not expired or where such period has been extended, in any manner, by the Central Government or the Reserve Bank of India or any other authority, such extended period has not expired on the date of commencement of this Act.