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Section33
The Arms Act, 1959

Offences by companies

In force From 01 Oct 1962 Act 54 of 1959 As on 17 Oct 2026

Act 54 of 1959 Ministry Home Affairs Enacted 23 Dec 1959 In force 01 Oct 1962 Instruments 3

Section 33 of the Arms Act, 1959 deals with offences by companies. Whenever an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person who at the time the offence was committed was in charge of, or was responsible to the company for the conduct of, the business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shal The Act came into force on 01 Oct 1962.

(1) Whenever an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person who at the time the offence was committed was in charge of, or was responsible to the company for the conduct of, the business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly:

Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment under this Act if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge and 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 Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or 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 also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Explanation.―For the purposes of this section,

(a) "company" means any body corporate, and includes a firm or other association of individuals; and

(b) "director", in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm.

Section 33, The Arms Act, 1959 (Act 54 of 1959).

Made under this section, and citing it

3 instruments name this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.

All subordinate legislation

Questions about Section 33

What does Section 33 of the Arms Act deal with?

Section 33 of the Arms Act is headed "Offences by companies". Whenever an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person who at the time the offence was committed was in charge of, or was responsible to the company for the conduct of, the business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shal

How do I find court cases under Section 33 of the Arms Act?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Arms Act 33, section 33 Arms Act, section 33 of the Arms Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.

What should I read with Section 33 of the Arms Act, and has it changed?

3 instruments name it without being made under it, most recently Arms Rules, 2016 (2016), then G.S.R. 701(E) dated 15/07/2019 on Arms Rules 2016 (2016).

When did Section 33 of the Arms Act come into force?

Section 33 of the Arms Act, cited as Arms Act 33, came into force on 01 Oct 1962, having been enacted on 23 Dec 1959. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 17 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.