Section 22. Offences by companies.

Where an offence under the Act is committed by a company, the person who has been nominated to be in charge of and responsible to, the company (hereinafter in this section referred to as ‘person responsible’) or if no person has been nominated, every person who at the time of commission of offence was in charge of, or was responsible to, the company for the conduct of its business and the company shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be proceeded against and punished accordingly : Provided that nothing contained in this section shall render any such person liable to any punishment under the Act if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge.