Companies Act, 2013
127.
Punishment
for failure to distribute dividends.
Where
a dividend has been declared by a company but has not been paid or the warrant
in respect thereof has not been posted within thirty days from the date of
declaration to any shareholder entitled to the payment of the dividend, every
director of the company shall, if he is knowingly a party to the default, be
punishable with imprisonment which may extend to two years and with fine which
shall not be less than one thousand rupees for every day during which such
default continues and the company shall be liable to pay simple interest at the
rate of eighteen per cent. per annum during the period for which such default
continues:
Provided
that no offence under this section shall be deemed to have been committed:—
a. where the dividend
could not be paid by reason of the operation of any law;
b. where a shareholder
has given directions to the company regarding the payment of the dividend and
those directions cannot be complied with and the same has been communicated to
him;
c. where there is a
dispute regarding the right to receive the dividend;
d. where the dividend
has been lawfully adjusted by the company against any sum due to it from the
shareholder; or
e. where, for any other
reason, the failure to pay the dividend or to post the warrant within the
period under this section was not due to any default on the part of the
company.