Clause 147 - Punishment for contravention. - Companies Bill, 2011

Punishment for contravention. 147. (1) If any of the provisions of sections 139 to 146 (both inclusive) is contravened, the company shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than twenty-five thousand rupees but which may extend to five lakh rupees and every officer of the company who is in default shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which shall not be less than ten thousand rupees but which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both. (2) If an auditor of a company contravenes any of the provisions of section 143, section 144 or section 145, the auditor shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than twenty-five thousand rupees but which may extend to five lakh rupees: Provided that if an auditor has contravened such provisions with the intention to deceive the company or its shareholders or creditors or any other person concerned or interested in the company, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and with fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but which may extend to twenty-five lakh rupees. (3) Where an auditor has been convicted under sub-section (2), he shall be liable to (i) refund the remuneration received by him to the company; and (ii) pay for damages to the company or to any other persons for loss arising out of incorrect or misleading statements of particulars made in his audit report. (4) Where, in case of audit of a company being conducted by an audit firm, it is proved that the partner or partners of the audit firm has or have acted in a fraudulent manner or abetted or colluded in any fraud by, or in relation to or by, the company or its directors or officers, the liability, whether civil or criminal as provided in this Act or in any other law for the time being in force, for such act shall be of the partner or partners of the audit firm and of the firm jointly and severally and such partner or partners of the audit firm shall also be punishable in the manner as provided in section 447.