Companies Act, 1956
Sec 247 -
Investigation of ownership of company.
(1) Where it appears to the Central Government
that there is good reason so to do, it may appoint one or more inspectors to
investigate and report on the membership of any company and other matters
relating to the company, for the purpose of determining the true persons
(a) who are or have been financially
interested in the success or failure, whether real or apparent, of the company
; or
(b) who are or have been able to control or
materially to influence the policy of the company.
(1A) Without prejudice to its powers under
this section, the Central Government shall appoint one or more inspectors under
sub-section (1), if the Company Law Board, in the course of any proceedings
before it, declares by an order that the affairs of the company ought to be
investigated as regards the membership of the company and other matters
relating to the company, for the purpose of determining the true persons
(a) who are or have been financially
interested in the success or failure, whether real or apparent, of the company
; or
(b) who are or have been able to control or
materially to influence the policy of the company.
(2) When appointing an inspector under
sub-section (1), the Central Government may define the scope of his
investigation, whether as respects the matters or the period to which it is to
extend or otherwise, and in particular, may limit the investigation to matters
connected with particular shares or debentures.
(3) Subject to the terms of an inspector's
appointment, his powers shall extend to the investigation of any circumstances
suggesting the existence of any arrangement or understanding which, though not
legally binding, is or was observed or is likely to be observed in practice and
which is relevant to the purposes of his investigation.
(4) [Omitted, vide The Companies
(Amendment) Act, 2000].
(5) For the purposes of any investigation
under this section, sections 239, 240 and 241 shall apply with the necessary
modifications of references to the affairs of the company or to those of any
other body corporate :
Provided that the said sections shall apply in
relation to all persons (including persons concerned only on behalf of others)
who have been, or whom the inspector has reasonable cause to believe to be or
to have been,
(i) financially interested in the success or
failure, or the apparent success or failure, of the company, of any other body
corporate whose membership or constitution is investigated with that of the
company ; or
(ii) able to control or materially to
influence the policy of such company, body corporate, as they apply in relation
to officers and other employees and agents of the company, of the other body
corporate, as the case may be :
Provided further that the Central Government
shall not be bound to furnish the company or any other person with a copy of
any report by an inspector appointed under this section or with a complete copy
thereof, if it is of opinion that there is good reason for not divulging the
contents of the report or of parts thereof ; but in such a case, the Central
Government shall cause to be kept by the Registrar a copy of any such report,
or as the case may be, of the parts thereof, as respects which it is not of
that opinion.
(6) The expenses of any investigation under
this section shall be defrayed by the Central Government out of moneys provided
by Parliament, unless the Central Government directs that the expenses or any
part thereof should be paid by the persons on whose application the
investigation was ordered.