law: The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
  57. Offences by
  
  companies.-
  1.  
  
    Where
  
  an offence or contravention under this Act has been committed by a company,
  
  every person who at the time the offence or contravention was committed was in
  
  charge of, and 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 or contravention 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 provided in this Act, if he
  
  proves that the offence or contravention was committed without his knowledge or
  
  that he had exercised all due diligence o prevent the commission of such
  
  offence or contravention.
  2.  
  
    Notwithstanding
  
  anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence or contravention under
  
  this Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence or
  
  contravention 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 the offence or contravention 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.