Information Technology Act, 2000
85. Offences by companies. –
(1) Where a person committing a contravention
of any of the provisions of this Act or of any rule, direction or order made
thereunder is a company, every person who, at the time the contravention 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 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 punishment if he proves that
the contravention took place without his knowledge or that he exercised all due
diligence to prevent such contravention.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in
sub-section (1), where a contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or
of any rule, direction or order made thereunder has been committed by a company
and it is proved that the contravention has taken place 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
contravention and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished
accordingly.
Explanation.- For the purposes of
this section-
(a) "company" means and body
corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals; and
(b) "directors", in relation to a
firm, means a partner in the firm.