(1) No person other than a member of the Institute shall sign any document on behalf of a Company Secretary in practice or a firm of such Company Secretaries in his or its professional capacity.
1[(2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall, without prejudice to any other proceedings which may be taken against him, be punishable on first conviction with a fine not less than five thousand rupees but which may extend to one lakh rupees, and in the event of a second or subsequent conviction with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with a fine not less than ten thousand rupees but which may extend to two lakh rupees or with both.]
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1.Substituted by the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 2006. Prior to Substituted, it read as under:
" (2) Any person contravening the provisions of sub-section (1) shall, without prejudice to any other proceedings which may be taken against him, be punishable on first conviction with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, and on any subsequent conviction with imprisonment which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both."