58COffences by companies

(1) Where a person committing a contravention or default referred to in section 58B is a company, every person who, at the time the contravention or default 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 or default 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 or default was committed without his knowledge or that he had exercised all due diligence to prevent the contravention or default.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that the same was committed with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary, or other officer or employee of the company, such director, manager, secretary, other officer or employee shall also be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Explanation 1.--Any offence punishable under this Act shall be deemed to have been committed at the place where the registered office or the principal place of business, as the case may be, in India, of the company is situated.

Explanation 2.--For the purpose of this section,--

(a) "a company" means any body corporate and includes a corporation, a non-banking institution, a firm, a co-operative society or other association of individuals;

(b) "director", in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm.