ROC Imposes Penalty on Director for Holding Duplicate DIN in Violation of Companies Act

The Registrar of Companies in Mumbai-I, under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, slapped a penalty on Mr Errol James Desouza, a Mumbai-based director. This all came down in an order (No. PO/ADJ/05-2026/MH/02099, dated 7th May 2026), signed under Section 454 of the Companies Act, 2013. Here,  Mr Desouza first got his Director Identification Number back in 2006. But during a new company registration in October 2021, he accidentally ended up with a second DIN , which you just can’t do under Section 155.

Mr Desouza spotted the error himself and, come March 2026, to get the initiative to file for education, he tried to give up the duplicate teen but the MCA portal just would not cooperate. The adjudicative official made it clear the mistake was not on purpose and did not cause any harm to the public still the violation lasted a while: 1496 days from October 21 2021 to November 24 2025.

In the end, Mr Desouza has to pay a total fine of Rs 48,870 that’s Rs 10,000 for the initial slip-up, plus Rs 38,870 from a daily penalty of Rs 26. He needs to pay it all from his own pocket within 90 days. If he wants to contest the order, he’s got 60 days to file an appeal with the Regional Director, RD Mumbai.