Punishment for offences under this Act.

(1) Any person or persons resorting to unfair means and offences under this Act, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than three years but which may extend to five years and with fine up to ten lakh rupees. In case of default of payment of fine, an additional punishment of imprisonment shall be imposed, as per the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. (2) The service provider shall also be liable to be punished with imposition of a fine upto one crore rupees and proportionate cost of examination shall also be recovered from such service provider and he shall also be barred from being assigned with any responsibility for the conduct of any competitive examination for a period of four years. (3) Where it is established during the investigation that offence under this Act has been committed with the consent or connivance of any Director, Management or the persons in-charge of the service provider firm, he shall be liable for imprisonment for a term not less than three years but which may extend to ten years and with fine of one crore rupees. In case of default of payment of fine, an additional punishment of imprisonment shall be imposed as per the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. (4) Nothing contained in this section shall render any such person liable to any punishment under the Act, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge and that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.