94. (1) The registers required to be kept and maintained by a company under section 88 and copies of the annual return filed under section 92 shall be kept at the registered office of the company:

Provided that such registers or copies of return may also be kept at any other place in India in which more than one-tenth of the total number of members entered in the register of members reside, if approved by a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the company ¹[Omitted]:

Provided further that the period for which the registers, returns and records are required to be kept shall be such as may be prescribed.

(2) The registers and their indices, except when they are closed under the provisions of this Act, and the copies of all the returns shall be open for inspection by any member, debenture-holder, other security holder or beneficial owner, during business hours without payment of any fees and by any other person on payment of such fees as may be prescribed.

(3) Any such member, debenture-holder, other security holder or beneficial owner or any other person may—

(a) take extracts from any register, or index or return without payment of any fee; or

(b) require a copy of any such register or entries therein or return on payment of such fees as may be prescribed.

²[Provided that such particulars of the register or index or return as may be prescribed shall not be available for inspection under sub-section (2) or for taking extracts or copies under this sub-section.]

(4) If any inspection or the making of any extract or copy required under this section is refused, the company and every officer of the company who is in default shall be liable, for each such default, to a penalty of one thousand rupees for every day subject to a maximum of one lakh rupees during which the refusal or default continues.

(5) The Central Government may also, by order, direct an immediate inspection of the document, or direct that the extract required shall forthwith be allowed to be taken by the person requiring it.