The Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984

CHAPTER XIII: OFFENCES AND PENALTIES

96. Offences-

(1) A multi-State cooperative society or an officer or member thereof wilfully making a false return or furnishing false information, or any person wilfully or without any reasonable excuse disobeying any summons, requisition or lawful written order issued under the provisions of this Act, or wilfully not furnishing any information required from him by a person authorised in this behalf under the provisions of this Act, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees.

(2) Any employer who without sufficient cause, fails to pay to a multi-state cooperative society the amount deducted by him under section 58 within a period of fourteen days from the date on which such deduction is made, shall, without prejudice to any action that may be taken against him under any other law for the time being in force, be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees.

(3) Any officer or custodian who wilfully fails to hand over custody of books, accounts, documents, records, cash, security and other property belonging to a multi-State cooperative society of which he is an officer or custodian, to a person entitled under section 49, section 67, section 68, section 69 or section 80 shall be punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees and in the case of a continuing breach, with a further fine which may extend to five hundred rupees for every day during which the breach is continued after conviction for the first such breach.

97. Cognizance of offences -(1) No court inferior to that of a Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the first class shall try any offence under this Act.

(2) No prosecution shall be instituted under this Act without the previous sanction of the Central Registrar and such sanction shall not be given without giving to the person concerned a reasonable opportunity to represent his case.