Section 40: Registration and Powers of Service Providers

(1) Subject to such rules as may be made, any voluntary association registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 by the Corporate Affairs Commission or any other law for the time being in force with the objective of protecting the rights and interests of victims of violence by any lawful means including providing of legal aid, medical, financial or other assistance shall register itself with the State Government as a service provider for the purposes of this Act.
(2) The appropriate Government Ministry shall-
(a) keep a register of all accredited service providers and circulate same to all police stations, protection officers and the courts; and
(b) draw up guidelines for the operation of the accredited service providers.
(3) A service provider so registered under subsection (1) shall have the power to-
(a) record the violence incidence report in the prescribed form if the aggrieved person so desires and forward a copy to the Magistrates and the Protection Officer having jurisdiction in the area where the violence took place;
(b) get the aggrieved person medically examined and forward a copy of the medical report to the Protection Officer and the police station within the locality of which the violence act took place; and
(c) ensure that the aggrieved person is provided shelter in a shelter home, if he or she so requires and forward a report of the lodging of the aggrieved person in the shelter home to the Police station within the locality of which the violence act took place.
(4) No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against any service provider who is, or who is deemed to be acting or purporting to act under this Act, for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done in the exercise of powers or discharge of functions under this Act towards the prevention of the commission of violence.