Section 14. Penalty for contravention of provisions of Act, rules, order or direction

(1) Any noncompliance or contravention of any provisions of this Act, rules made thereunder or any order or direction issued by the Commission, shall be an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to five years or with fine which may extend up to one crore rupees or with both:

Provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to any farmer for causing air pollution by stubble burning or mismanagement of agricultural residue.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), the offence under this Act shall be non-cognizable and triable by the Jurisdictional Judicial Magistrate of the First Class, who shall not take cognizance of the offence except upon a complaint made by the Commission or any officer authorised by the Commission in this behalf.

(3) Where any offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person who, at the time when the offence was committed, was directly 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 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 was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.

(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (3), 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 sub-sections (3) and (4),---

(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.

(5) Where an offence under this Act has been committed by any Department of the Government, the Head of the Department 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 section shall render such Head of the Department liable to any punishment if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.

(6) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (5), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a Department of Government 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 officer, other than the Head of the Department, such officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

(7) For the purpose of this section and the procedure to be followed thereunder, the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), shall apply.