THE MENTAL HEALTH ACT, 1987

CHAPTER IX

PENALTIES AND PROCEDURE

82. (1) Any person who establishes or maintains a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home in contravention of the provisions of Chapter III shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees, or with both, and in case of a second or subsequent offence, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.

[Penalty for establishment or maintenance of psychiatric hospital or psychaitric nursing home in contravention of Chapter III]

(2)   Whoever, after conviction under sub-section (1), continues to maintain a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home in contravention of the provisions of Chapter III Shall, on conviction, be punishable with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees, for every day after the first day during which the contravention is continued.

83.        Any person who receives or detains or keeps a mentally ill person in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of this Act, shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.

84.              Any manager appointed under this Act to manage the property of a mentally ill person, who contravenes the provisions of section 60 or sub-section (2) of section 69, shall, on conviction, be punishable with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees and may be detained in a civil prison till he complies with the said provisions.

85.              Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this Act or of any rule of regulation made thereunder, for the contravention of which no penalty is expressly provided, in this Act, shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both.

86. (1) Where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person who, at the time the offence 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 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 punishments, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he had exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), 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 this section, -

(a)  “company” means a 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.

87. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, no court shall take cognizance of any offence punishable under section 82, except with the previous sanction of the licensing authority.

[Sanction for prosecutions]. 2 of 1974