Companies Act, 1956
Sec 44 -
Prospectus or statement in lieu of prospectus to be filed by private company on
ceasing to be private company.
(1) If a company, being a private company,
alters its articles in such a manner that they no longer include the provisions
which, under clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 3, are required to be
included in the articles of a company in order to constitute it a private
company, the company,
(a) shall, as on the date of the alteration,
cease to be a private company; and
(b) shall, within a period of thirty days
after the said date, file with the Registrar either a prospectus or a statement
in lieu of prospectus, as specified in sub-section (2).
(2)
(a) Every prospectus filed under sub-section
(1) shall state the matters specified in Part I of Schedule II and set out the
reports specified in Part II of that Schedule, and the said Parts I and II
shall have effect subject to the provisions contained in Part III of that
Schedule.
(b) Every statement in lieu of prospectus
filed under sub-section (1) shall be in the form and contain the particulars
set out in Part I of Schedule IV, and in the cases mentioned in Part II of that
Schedule, shall set out the reports specified therein, and the said Parts I and
II shall have effect subject to the provisions contained in Part III of that
Schedule.
(c) Where the persons making any such report
as is referred to in clause (a) or (b) have made therein, or have, without
giving the reasons indicated therein, any such adjustments as are mentioned in
clause 32 of Schedule II or clause 5 of Schedule IV, as the case may be, the
prospectus or statement in lieu of prospectus filed as aforesaid, shall have
endorsed thereon or attached thereto, a written statement signed by those
persons, setting out the adjustments and giving the reasons therefor.
(3) If default is made in complying with
sub-section (1) or (2), the company, and every officer of the company who is in
default, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees
for every day during which the default continues.
(4) Where any prospectus or statement in lieu
of prospectus filed under this section includes any untrue statement, any
person who authorized the filing of such prospectus or statement shall be
punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with
fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees, or with both, unless he proves
either that the statement was immaterial or that he had reasonable ground to
believe, and did up to the time of the filing of the prospectus or statement
believe, that the statement was true.
(5) For the purposes of this section :
(a) a statement included in a prospectus or a
statement in lieu of prospectus shall be deemed to be untrue if it is
misleading in the form and context in which it is included; and
(b) where the omission from a prospectus or a
statement in lieu of prospectus of any matter is calculated to mislead, the
prospectus or statement in lieu of prospectus shall be deemed, in respect of
such omission, to be a prospectus or a statement in lieu of prospectus in which
an untrue statement is included.
(6) For the purposes of sub-section (4) and
clause (a) of sub-section (5), the expression "included" when used
with reference to a prospectus, or statement in lieu of prospectus, means
included in the prospectus or statement in lieu of prospectus itself or
contained in any report or memorandum appearing on the face thereof, or by
reference incorporated therein.