Contempt of Courts Act, 1971
12. Punishment for contempt of court
(1) Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act or in any
other law, a contempt of court may be punished with simple imprisonment for a
term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to two
thousand rupees, or with both:
PROVIDED that the accused may be discharged or the
punishment awarded may be remitted on apology being made to the satisfaction of
the court.
Explanation : An apology shall not be rejected merely on the
ground that it is qualified or conditional if the accused makes it bona fide.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time
being in force, no court shall impose a sentence in excess of that specified in
sub-section (1) for any Contempt either in respect of itself or of a court
subordinate to it.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, where a
person is found guilty of a civil contempt, the court , if it considers that a
fine will not meet the ends of justice and that a sentence of imprisonment is
necessary shall, instead of sentencing him to simple imprisonment, direct that
he be detained in a civil prison for such period not exceeding six months as it
may think fit.
(4) Where the person found guilty of contempt of court in
respect of any undertaking given to a court is a company, every person who, at
the time the contempt was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to,
the company for the conduct of business of the company, as well as the company,
shall be deemed to be guilty of the contempt and the punishment may be enforced,
with the leave of the court, by the detention in civil prison of each such
person:
PROVIDED that nothing contained in this sub-section
shall render any such person liable to such punishment if he proves that the
contempt was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due
diligence to prevent its commission.
(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (4), where
the contempt of court referred to therein has been committed by a company and
it is proved that the contempt has been committed with the consent or
connivance of, or is attributable to, any neglect on the part of, any director,
manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager,
secretary or other officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of the contempt
and the punishment may be enforced, with the leave of the court, by the
detention in civil prison of such director, manager, secretary or other
officer.
Explanation: For the purpose of sub-sections (4) and (5)-
(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.