Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976
74. Offences by companies and power of Court fee publish name, place of business, etc. of companies convicted. -
(1) If an offence under this Act is 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 any such person liable to 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 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 the neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other officer, 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.
(3) Where any company is convicted under this Act for contravention of any of the provisions thereof, it shall be competent for the Court convicting the company to cause the name and place of business of the company, nature of the contravention, the fact that the company has been so convicted and such other particulars as the Court may consider to be appropriate in the circumstances of the case, to be published at the expense of the company in such newspapers or in such other manner as the Court may direct.
(4) No publication under sub-section (3) shall be made until the period for preferring an appeal against-the orders of the Court has expired without any appeal having been preferred, or such an appeal having been preferred has been disposed of.
(5) The expenses of any publication under sub-section (3) shall be recoverable from the company as if it were a fine imposed by the Court.
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.