Companies Act, 1956
Sec 541 - Liability where proper accounts not kept.
(1) Where a company is being wound up, if it
is shown that proper books of accounts were not kept by the company throughout
the period of two years immediately preceding the commencement of the winding
up, or the period between the incorporation of the company and the commencement
of the winding up, whichever is shorter, every officer of the company who is in
default shall, unless he shows that he acted honestly and that in the
circumstances in which the business of the company was carried on, the default
was excusable, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to
one year.
(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), it
shall be deemed that proper books of account have not been kept in the case of
any company, if there have not been kept
(a) such books or accounts as are necessary to
exhibit and explain the transactions and financial position of the business of
the company, including books containing entries made from day to day in
sufficient detail of all cash received and all cash paid ; and
(b) where the business of the company has
involved dealings in goods, statements of the annual stock takings and (except
in the case of goods sold by way of ordinary retail trade) of all goods sold
and purchased showing the goods and the buyers and the sellers thereof in
sufficient detail to enable those goods and those buyers and sellers to be
identified.