18A. [ Non-citizens not to carry on business of money-lending. [Section 18-A was inserted by section 12 of the Tamil Nadu Money-Lenders (Amendment) Act, 1979 (Tamil Nadu Act 41 of 1979).]
(1)Notwithstanding anything contained in sections 3 and 4, no person who is not a citizen of India shall, on and from the date of publication of the Tamil Nadu Money-Lenders (Amendment) Act, 1979 (Tamil Nadu Act 41 of 1979) in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, (hereinafter in this section referred to as the said date), carry on the business of money-lending.](2)All licences granted under this Act to any person who is not a citizen of India shall be deemed to have been cancelled on and from the said date and all transactions of money-lending carried on by such person as a money-lender, shall cease from the said date.(3)Any person referred to in sub-section (1) who had obtained a licence for money-lending under this Act, prior to the said date may, subject to the provisions of this Act including section 21-A recover through a competent Court, the loans advanced before the said date.(4)Any person referred to in sub-section (1) who carries on the business of money-lending in contravention of the provisions of the said sub-section or recovers his dues otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (3) shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine or with both.(5)Any Court trying an offence under this section shall, unless it is proved to the contrary, presume that the accused is not a citizen of India and that he was carrying on the business of money-lending in contravention of the provisions of this section.
