Section 16

No proceedings shall be instituted under this Act against any person duly authorized in that behalf by the Price Controller, the

Deputy Price Controller or any Assistant Price Controller where the person has knowingly purchased or offered to purchase price-controlled goods at a price in excess of that fixed therefor by the

Price Controller under section 4 or who has paid or offered to pay a charge for the hire of any price-controlled goods or for any service in relation to any price-controlled goods in excess of the charge so fixed for such hire or service, with the intention of procuring evidence for the purpose of prosecuting the seller, the hirer or the person providing the service, for an offence against this Act.