Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951
24. Penalties
(1) If any person contravenes or attempts to contravene or abets
the contravention of-
(i) the provisions of sub-section (1) or
sub-section (4) of section 10, or of sub-section (1) of section 11 or of
section 11A or of sub-section (1) of section 13 or of sub-sections (2), (2A),
(2D), (2F) and (2G) of section 29B, or
(ii) any direction issued under section 16 or
sub-section (3) of section 18B, or
(iii) any order made under section 18G, or
(iv) any rule the contravention of which is
made punishable under this section, he shall be punishable with imprisonment
which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to five thousand
rupees, or with both, and, in the case of continuing contravention, with an
additional fine which may extend to five hundred rupees for every day during
which such contravention continues after conviction for the first such
contravention.
(2) If the person contravening any of the said provisions is a
company, every person who at the time the offence was committed was in charge
of, and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of the business of the
company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the
contravention and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished
accordingly:
PROVIDED that nothing contained in this sub-section
shall render any such person liable to any punishment provided in this Act, if
he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he
exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2), where
an offence under this Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that
the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or is
attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, or manager, secretary
or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other
officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable
to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
Explanation: For the purposes of this section-
(a) "company" means any body corporate and includes a
firm or other association of individuals; and
(b) "director" in relation to a firm means a partner in
the firm.