Companies Act, 1956
Sec 625 - Payment of compensation in cases of frivolous or
vexatious prosecution.
(1) In respect of any case instituted upon the
complaint of a shareholder against the company or any officer thereof in
pursuance of section 621, the provisions of section 250 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1898 (5 of 1898), shall not apply ; and the following provisions
shall apply instead.
(2) If the Magistrate by whom any such case is
heard discharges or acquits all or any of the accused and is of opinion that
the accusation against them or any of them was false and either frivolous or
vexatious, the Magistrate may, by his order of discharge or acquittal, if the
shareholder upon whose complaint the accusation was made is present, call upon
him forthwith to show cause why he should not pay compensation to such accused,
or to each or any of such accused when there is more than one, or if such
shareholder is not present, direct the issue of a summons to him to appear and
show cause as aforesaid.
(3) The Magistrate shall record and consider
any cause which such shareholder may show ; and if the Magistrate is satisfied
that the accusation was false and either frivolous or vexatious, he may, for
reasons to be recorded, direct that compensation to such amount as he may
determine be paid by such shareholder to the accused or to each or any of them,
not exceeding one thousand rupees in all.
(4) The Magistrate may, by the order directing
payment of the compensation under sub-section (3), further order that, in
default of payment, the shareholder ordered to pay such compensation shall
suffer imprisonment for a term not exceeding two months.
(5) When any person is imprisoned under
sub-section (4), the provisions of sections 68 and 69 of the Indian Penal Code
(45 of 1860) shall, so far as may be, apply.
(6) No person who has been directed to pay
compensation under this section shall, by reason of such order, be exempted
from any civil or criminal liability in respect of the complaint made by him :
Provided that any amount paid to an accused
person under this section shall be taken into account in awarding compensation
to such person in any subsequent civil suit relating to the same matter.
(7) A complainant who has been ordered to pay
compensation under sub-section (3) by a Magistrate may appeal from the order,
in so far as it relates to the payment of compensation, as if such complainant
had been convicted on a trial held by such Magistrate.
(8) Where an order for payment of compensation
to an accused person is made, the compensation shall not be paid to him before
the period allowed for the presentation of the appeal under sub-section (7) has
elapsed ; or, if an appeal is presented, before the appeal has been decided.