70. PROHIBITION OF ALLOTMENT IN CERTAIN CASES UNLESS STATEMENT IN LIEU OF PROSPECTUS DELIVERED TO REGISTRAR

(1) A company having a share capital, which does not issue a prospectus on or with reference to its formation, or which has issued such a prospectus but has not proceeded to allot any of the shares offered to the public for subscription, shall not allot any of its shares or debentures unless at least three days before the first allotment of either shares or debentures, there has been delivered to the Registrar for registration a statement in lieu of prospectus signed by every person who is named therein as a director or proposed director of the company or by his agent authorised in writing, in the form and containing the particulars set out in Part I of Schedule III and, in the cases mentioned in Part II of that Schedule, setting out the reports specified therein, and the said Parts I and II shall have effect subject to the provisions contained in Part III of that Schedule.

(2) Every statement in lieu of prospectus delivered under sub-section (1), shall, where the persons making any such report as aforesaid have made therein, or have without giving the reasons indicated therein, any such adjustments as are mentioned in clause 5 of Schedule III, have endorsed thereon or attached thereto a written statement signed by those persons, setting out the adjustments and giving the reasons thereof.

(3) This section shall not apply to a private company.

(4) If a company acts in contravention of sub-section (1) or (2), the company, and every director of the company who wilfully authorises or permits the contravention, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees.

(5) Where a statement in lieu of prospectus delivered to the Registrar under sub-section (1) includes any untrue statement, any person who authorised the delivery of the statement in lieu of prospectus for registration shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees or with both, unless he proves either that the statement was immaterial or that he had reasonable ground to believe, and did up to the time of the delivery for registration of the statement in lieu of prospectus believe, that the statement was true. (6) For the purposes of this section -

(a) a statement included in a statement in lieu of prospectus shall be deemed to be untrue if it is misleading in the form and context in which it is included ; and

(b) where the omission from a statement in lieu of prospectus of any matter is calculated to mislead, the statement in lieu of prospectus shall be deemed, in respect of such omission, to be a statement in lieu of prospectus in which an untrue statement is included.

(7) For the purposes of sub-section (5) and clause (a) of sub-section (6), the expression "included", when used with reference to a statement in lieu of prospectus, means included in the statement in lieu of prospectus itself or contained in any report or memorandum appearing on the face thereof, or by reference incorporated therein, or issued therewith.