Punishment for failure to distribute dividends (Section 127 of the Companies Act, 2013) :
Section 127 of the Companies Act, 2013 came into force on 12th September, 2013 which provides for punishment for failure to distribute dividend on time. According to this section:
(i) Where a dividend has been declared by a company but has not been paid or the warrant in respect thereof has not been posted within thirty days from the date of declaration to any shareholder entitled to the payment of the dividend, every director of the company shall, if he is knowingly a party to the default, be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to two years.
(ii) He shall also be liable for a fine which shall not be less than 1,000 rupees for every day during which such default continues.
(iii) The company shall also be liable to pay simple interest at the rate of 18% p.a. during the period for which such default continues.
(iv) However, the following are the exceptions under which no offence shall be deemed to have been committed:
(a) where the dividend could not be paid by reason of the operation of any law;
(b) where a shareholder has given directions to the company regarding the payment of the dividend and those directions cannot be complied with and the same has been communicated to him;
(c) where there is a dispute regarding the right to receive the dividend;
(d) where the dividend has been lawfully adjusted by the company against any sum due to it from the shareholder; or
(e) where, for any other reason, the failure to pay the dividend or to post the warrant within the period under this section was not due to any default on the part of the company.
Vide Notification no. 465(E) dated 5th June 2015, this section shall apply to the Nidhis company, subject to that where the dividend payable to a member is one hundred rupees or less, it shall be sufficient compliance of the provisions of the section, if the declaration of the dividend is announced in the local language in one local newspaper of wide circulation and announcement of the said declaration is also displayed on the notice board of the nidhis for at least three months.