Companies Act, 1956
Sec 551 - Information as to pending liquidations.
(1) If the winding up of a company is not
concluded within one year after its commencement, the liquidator shall, unless
he is exempted from so doing either wholly or in part by the Central
Government, within two months of the expiry of such year and thereafter until
the winding up is concluded, at intervals of not more than one year or at such
shorter intervals, if any, as may be prescribed, file a statement in the
prescribed form and containing the prescribed particulars duly audited, by a
person qualified to act as auditor of the company, with respect to the
proceedings in, and position of, the liquidation,-
(a) in the case of a winding up by or subject
to the supervision of the Court, in Court ; and
(b) in the case of a voluntary winding up,
with the Registrar :
Provided that no such audit as is referred to in
this sub-section shall be necessary where the provisions of section 462 apply.
(2) When the statement is filed in Court under
clause (a) of sub-section (1), a copy shall simultaneously be filed with the
Registrar and shall be kept by him along with the other records of the company.
(2A) Where a statement referred to in
sub-section (2) relates to a Government company in liquidation, the liquidator
shall forward a copy thereof,-
(a) to the Central Government, if that
Government is a member of the Government company ; or
(b) to any State Government, if that
Government is a member of the Government company ; or
(c) to the Central Government and any State
Government, if both the Governments are members of the Government company.
(3) Any person stating himself in writing to
be a creditor or contributory of the company shall be entitled, by himself or
by his agent, at all reasonable times, on payment of the prescribed fee, to
inspect the statement, and to receive a copy thereof or an extract there from.
(4) Any person untruthfully stating himself to
be a creditor or contributory for the above purpose shall be deemed to be
guilty of an offence under section 182 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860),
and shall, on the application of the liquidator, be punishable accordingly.
(5) If a liquidator fails to comply with any
of the requirements of this section, he shall be punishable with fine which may
extend to five thousand rupees for every day during which the failure continues
:
Provided that if the liquidator makes willful
default in causing the statement referred to in sub-section (1) to be audited
by a person qualified to act as auditor of the company, the liquidator shall be
punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with
fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or with both.