ICAI has considered the issue regarding status of In-charge of a Head Office of a firm of chartered accountants or its Branch Office and clarified that- A member designated In-charge of an office of a chartered accountant in practice or a firm of such chartered accountants should be associated with the concerned chartered accountant/firm of chartered accountants as a partner or as a paid assistant, and that if such a member was a paid assistant, she/he should be in whole time employment. Such an association shall be deemed to exist if such a partner/paid assistant resides in the place where the Office is situated for a period of not less than 182 days in a year or if he attends that office for a period of not less than 182 days in a year.

Accordingly any person other than partner/paid assistant can not be termed as In-charge of a CA firm or its branch office.
Secretary, ICAI