Section 22B: Cognizance of offences

The Minimum Wages Act, 1948 was repealed and replaced by the Code on Wages, 2019 from 21 November 2025. It still applies to matters and proceedings from before that date, as the repealing law provides.

(1) No Court shall take cognizance of a complaint against any person for an offence—

(a) under clause (a) of section 22 unless an application in respect of the facts constituting such offence has been presented under section 20 and has been granted wholly or in part, and the appropriate Government or an officer authorised by it in this behalf has sanctioned the making of the complaint;

(b) under clause (b) of section 22 or under section 22A except on a complaint made by, or with the sanction of, an Inspector.

(2) No Court shall take cognizance of an offence—

(a) under clause (a) or clause (b) of section 22, unless complaint thereof is made within one month of the grant of sanction under this section;

(b) under section 22A, unless complaint thereof is made within six months of the date on which the offence is alleged to have been committed.

Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the text of the Act as it stood before its repeal. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 22B

No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.