Offences by companies
Section 15 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 deals with offences by companies. If the person committing an offence under this Act is a company, every person who, at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be The Act came into force on 02 Apr 1923.
1[15. Offences by companies.-- (1) If the person committing an offence under this Act is a company, every person who, at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of 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 such punishment provided in this Act if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercied 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 negligence 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 a body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individual; and
(b) "director", in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm.]
Section 15, The Official Secrets Act, 1923 (Act 19 of 1923).
Questions about Section 15
What does Section 15 of the Official Secrets Act deal with?
Section 15 of the Official Secrets Act is headed "Offences by companies". [15. Offences by companies.-- (1) If the person committing an offence under this Act is a company, every person who, at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be
How do I find court cases under Section 15 of the Official Secrets 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: Official Secrets Act 1923 15, section 15 Official Secrets Act 1923, section 15 of the Official Secrets Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.
When did Section 15 of the Official Secrets Act come into force?
Section 15 of the Official Secrets Act, cited as Official Secrets Act 1923 15, came into force on 02 Apr 1923, having been enacted on 02 Apr 1923. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 6. Unauthorised use of uniforms; falsification of reports, forgery, personation, and falsedocuments694 words
- 2. Definitions683 words
- 5. Wrongful communication, etc., of information517 words
- 3. Penalties for spying432 words
- 4. Communications with foreign agents to be evidence of commission of certain offences359 words
- 11. Search-warrants278 words
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 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.