Companies Act, 2013
338.
Liability
where proper accounts not kept.
1. Where a company is
being wound up, if it is shown that proper books of account 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 shall not be less than one year but which may extend to three years
and with fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but which may extend
to three lakh rupees.
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,—
a.
if
such books of account 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, have not been kept; 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, have not been kept.