(1) If the person committing an offence under this Regulation is a company, the company and every person who at the time the offence is committed was in-charge of, and responsible to, the company for the conduct of its business at the time of the commission of the offence, shall be deemed to be guilty of such offence, and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly:
Provided that where a company has different establishments or branch, the concerned Chief Executive and the person in-charge of such establishment, branch or unit, nominated by the company as responsible for the conduct of business, shall be liable for that offence in respect of such establishment, branch or unit:
Provided further that nothing in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment 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.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Regulation has been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or that the commission of the offence 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 be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
Explanation. For the purposes of this section, (a association of individuals; and (b