Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976
26. Offences by companies
(1) Where an offence under this Act or any
rule made thereunder has been committed by 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 offence and shall be liable to be proceeded
against and punished accordingly:
PROVIDED that nothing contained in this
sub-section shall render such person liable to any punishment if he proves that
the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he had exercised all
due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in
sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act or any rule made thereunder
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, 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, society, trade union or other association of
individuals; and
(b) "director", in relation to a
firm, society, trade union or other association of individuals, means a partner
in the firm or a member of the governing body of such society, trade union or
other association of individuals.