Heavy penalty and prosecution against violation of “Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019” 

OFFENCES AND PUNISHMENTS

21. (1) Any deposit taker who solicits deposits in contravention of section 3 shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to five years and with fine which shall not be less than two lakh rupees but which may extend to ten lakh rupees.

(2) Any deposit taker who accepts deposits in contravention of section 3 shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than two years but which may extend to seven years and with fine which shall not be less than three lakh rupees but which may extend to ten lakh rupees.

(3) Any deposit taker who accepts deposits in contravention of section 3 and fraudulently defaults in repayment of such deposits or in rendering any specified service, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three years but which may extend to ten years and with fine which shall not be less than five lakh rupees but which may extend to twice the amount of aggregate funds collected from the subscribers, members or participants in the Unregulated Deposit Scheme.

Explanation.— For the purposes of this Ordinance,—

(i) the expression “fraudulently” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in section 25 of the Indian Penal Code;

(ii) where the terms of the Deposit Scheme are entirely impracticable or unviable, the terms shall be relevant facts showing an intention to defraud.

22. Punishment for contravention of section 4.

Any deposit taker who contravenes the provisions of section 4 shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine which shall not be less than five lakh rupees but which may extend to twenty-five crore rupees or three times the amount of profits made out of the fraudulent default referred to in said section, whichever is higher, or with both.

23. Punishment for contravention of section 5.

Any person who contravenes the provisions of section 5 shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to five years and with fine which may extend to ten lakh rupees.

24. Punishment for repeat offenders.

Whoever having been previously convicted of an offence punishable under this Chapter, except the offence under section 26, is subsequently convicted of an offence shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years but which may extend to ten years and with fine which shall not be less than ten lakh rupees but which may extend to fifty crore rupees.

25. Offences by deposit takers other than individuals.

(1) Where an offence under this Ordinance has been committed by a deposit taker other than an individual, every person who, at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to, the deposit taker for the conduct of its business, as well as the deposit taker, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

(2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall render any such person liable to any punishment provided in this Ordinance, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub­section (1), where an offence under this Ordinance has been committed by a deposit taker other than an individual, and it is proved that the offence—

(a) has been committed with the consent or connivance; or

(b) is attributable to any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary, promoter, partner, employee or other officer of the deposit taker,

such person shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

26. Punishment for contravention of section 10.

Whoever fails to give the intimation required under sub-section (1) of section 10 or fails to furnish any such statements, information or particulars as required under sub­section (2) of that section, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees.

27. Cognizance of offences.

Notwithstanding anything contained in section 4, no Designated Court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under that section except upon a complaint made by the Regulator:

Provided that the provisions of section 4 and this section shall not apply in relation to a deposit taker which is a company.