law: Companies Act, 2013 
  Chapter
  
  IX
  Accounts
  
  of Companies
  128.
  
    Books
  
  of account, etc., to be kept by company.
  1.      Every company shall
  
  prepare and keep at its registered office books of account and other relevant
  
  books and papers and financial statement for every financial year which give a
  
  true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the company, including that
  
  of its branch office or offices, if any, and explain the transactions effected
  
  both at the registered office and its branches and such books shall be kept on
  
  accrual basis and according to the double entry system of accounting:
  Provided
  
  that all or any of the books of account aforesaid and other relevant papers may
  
  be kept at such other place in India as the Board of Directors may decide and
  
  where such a decision is taken, the company shall, within seven days thereof,
  
  file with the Registrar a notice in writing giving the full address of that
  
  other place:
  Provided
  
  further that the company may keep such books of account or other relevant
  
  papers in electronic mode in such manner as may be prescribed.
  1.     
  2.      Where a company has a
  
  branch office in India or outside India, it shall be deemed to have complied
  
  with the provisions of sub-section (1 ), if proper books of account
  
  relating to the transactions effected at the branch office are kept at that
  
  office and proper summarized returns periodically are sent by the branch office
  
  to the company at its registered office or the other place referred to in
  
  sub-section (1 ).
  3.      The books of account
  
  and other books and papers maintained by the company within India shall be open
  
  for inspection at the registered office of the company or at such other place
  
  in India by any director during business hours, and in the case of financial
  
  information, if any, maintained outside the country, copies of such financial
  
  information shall be maintained and produced for inspection by any director
  
  subject to such conditions as may be prescribed:
  Provided
  
  that the inspection in respect of any subsidiary of the company shall be done
  
  only by the person authorised in this behalf by a resolution of the Board of
  
  Directors.
  1.     
  2.     
  3.     
  4.      Where an inspection
  
  is made under sub-section (3 ), the officers and other employees of the
  
  company shall give to the person making such inspection all assistance in
  
  connection with the inspection which the company may reasonably be expected to
  
  give.
  5.      The books of account
  
  of every company relating to a period of not less than eight financial years
  
  immediately preceding a financial year, or where the company had been in
  
  existence for a period less than eight years, in respect of all the preceding
  
  years together with the vouchers relevant to any entry in such books of account
  
  shall be kept in good order:
  Provided
  
  that where an investigation has been ordered in respect of the company under
  
  Chapter XIV, the Central Government may direct that the books of account may be
  
  kept for such longer period as it may deem fit.
  1.     
  2.     
  3.     
  4.     
  5.     
  6.      If the managing
  
  director, the whole-time director in charge of finance, the Chief Financial
  
  Officer or any other person of a company charged by the Board with the duty of
  
  complying with the provisions of this section, contravenes such provisions,
  
  such managing director, whole-time director in charge of finance, Chief
  
  Financial officer or such other person of the company shall be punishable with
  
  imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which shall
  
  not be less than fifty thousand rupees but which may extend to five lakh rupees
  
  or with both.