(1) Any person, who starts or carries on a cold Penalty.
storage business or stores agricultural produce in a cold storage without having a valid licence under this Act or contravenes any provision of this Act or the rules made thereunder or cancels, destroys, mutilates or defaces any book or other document with a view to evading the provisions of this Act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees or with both and for continuance of such contravention the person concerned shall be liable to an additional fine of fifty rupees per day so long as the contravention continues or so long as the orders and directions validly given are not complied with.
(2) Where an offence punishable under this section is committed by any employee or agent of a trader on behalf of such trader, such trader, unless he proves that the offence was committed by his employee or agent without his knowledge and without his consent, and his employee or agent by whom the offence was committed, shall both be deemed to be guilty of the offence.
(3) If the person committing an offence punishable under sub-section (1) is a company, the company and every director, manager, secretary or agent of the company, unless such director, manager, secretary or agent proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or consent, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished.