Penalty for defacement of property.

(1) Whoever defaces any property in public view except any board or wall provided for advertisement and publicity, by writing or marking with ink, chalk, paint or any other material, except for the purpose of indicating the name and address of the owner or occupier of such property, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both: Provided that sign boards fixed by any person, individual or institution on their own property or property occupied by them at their cost, shall be exempted from the provisions of sub-section (1): Provided further that the owners or managers of the organizations making defacement of the properties for their business activities, shall be responsible for removing such defacement and the burden of proving their innocence for such defacement, shall rest on them. (2) Where any offence committed under sub-section (1) is for the benefit of some other person or a company or other body corporate or an association of persons, whether incorporated or not, or a political party or its candidates, then such other person and every president, chairman, director, partner, manger, secretary, agent or any other officer or person concerned with the management thereof, as the case may be, shall, unless he proves that the offence was emitted without his knowledge or consent, be deemed to be guilty of such offence.