Net4 Edelweiss V Net Fraud
Net4 Edelweiss V Net Fraud
Net4 Edelweiss V Net Fraud
PRESENT:
For the Applicant: Ms. Pooja Mahajan, Ms. Mohana Nijwahan, Mr. Gaurav
Arora, Advs. for Resolution Professional
For the Respondents: Mr. Rajshekhar Rao, Sr. Adv., Mr. Raghav Kacker, Ms.
Anuradha Agnihotri, Manasa Sundarraman, Ms. Spoorthi
Cotha, Tanvi Pillai, Advocates, for (ICANN)
Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Mr. Prashant Mehta, Ms. Neha
Tanwar and Mr. Ankit Sharma, Advocates for the Ex-
Management
Mr. RP Agarwal, Ms. Pragati Agarwal, Ms. Manisha
Agarwal, Advocates
Ms. Pallavi Mishra, Ms. Charchika Yadav, Advocates
Mr. Gauhar Mirza, Mr. Nishant Doshi, Advs. for R-5 & 6
,
ORDER
PRONOUNCED ON 29.04.2021
PER: SH. B.S.V. PRAKASH KUMAR, HON’BLE ACTG. PRESIDENT
During the progress of CIRP against the Corporate Debtor namely Net4
India Ltd (herein after referred as Net4 India or the Corporate Debtor); the
Resolution Professional (RP) filed two Company Applications against a
promoter director and other companies which continued as subsidiaries, an
associate company of the Corporate Debtor.
2
4. Net4 India is a leading Data Centre dealing with Cloud Hosting and
Network Services Provider; focuses on providing services to businesses
(small, medium and large) and its offerings include Data Centre & Cloud
Hosting Solutions, Enterprise Internet Services, VoIP Solutions, Enterprise
Messaging & Hosting Solutions and Domain name registration.
8. In this case, ICANN and other organizations like ICANN have registered
domain licence with Net4 India/ Corporate Debtor acting as Registrar. Since
this registration remains for a specified period, as and when the specified
period expires, the Registrar shall renew its registration, if that registration is
not renewed, then the registrant who in turn receives this domain services
from the registrars will be put to inconvenience.
4
10. For the CD failed to repay the dues outstanding to Edelweiss Asset
Reconstruction Company Limited (EARCL), it has on 19.01.2017 issued
notice to the Corporate Debtor calling for payment of dues from the
Corporate Debtor; failing which, the proceedings under the Code shall be
initiated against the Corporate Debtor.
11. For EARCL issued notice on 19.01.2017 stating that it would take
action under the Code in the event the Corporate Debtor failed to repay its
loan, it could be understood that the Corporate Debtor or its Promoter-
Directors for the first-time could have noticed that there would be
likelihood of initiating insolvency proceedings against the Corporate
Debtor for the dues payable to the said creditor having not been paid.
When the Corporate Debtor failed to pay EARCL debts, it has on 05.10.2017,
filed Section 7 Petition, wherein the Corporate Debtor sought adjournment
after adjournment in between 28.02.2018 and 18.09.2018 on the ground
settlement was likely to be arrived at with EARCL. When no such settlement
happened, this Bench heard this matter and posted for Orders on
5
13. For this applicant has filed this application, this Bench also directed
Mr. Sawhney to provide information on passing various orders 03.07.2019,
22.07.2019, 02.09.2019, 27.10.2019 and 20.12.2019, but till date no
progress, except providing piece meal information, which is not enough to
figure out the transactions of the Corporate Debtor. The information to
initiate proper course of action has not been provided by the Respondents,
which is as follows:
d. Accounts data for the period prior to 01 April 2017 not provided. For
which, the respondents replied that data for the period prior to 2016 was lost
in Chennai Floods. But as per Registrar of companies, the accounts of the
company are maintained at NOIDA Office of Corporate Debtor;
14. The RP has noted that Audited Accounts of the Corporate Debtor were
filed only up to 2015-2016; thereafter the accounts of the Corporate Debtor
have not been audited. The Promoter has not provided even the Provisional
7
16. The case of the RP in this application is Mr. Sawhney (R1) has, in order
to defraud the corporate debtor creditors, fraudulently transferred the
shareholding of the corporate debtor in Pipetel and Net4 Network (R2) to
another company belonging to him i.e., Trak Online (R4) through two share
transfer deeds executed on 26.05.2016and on 20.09.2016 on the pretext the
corporate debtor owed to Trak Online; fraudulently issued preference shares
to others in Net4Network so as to reduce the corporate debtor shareholding
in Net4 Network from 100% to 18.40%. Before execution of these transfer
8
deeds and allotment, Net4 Network was wholly owned subsidiary of the
corporate debtor; to make Net4 India empty bowl, R1 got executed Master
Reselling Agreement by the corporate debtor on 20.10.2016 in favor of
Net4Network on the premise the corporate debtor turned into a loss making
company, by which whole business of the corporate debtor has gone to Net4
Network. As if it is not sufficient, “trade mark Net4” upon which entire
business of the corporate debtor grew, is shown as assigned to R1 by the
board of corporate debtor comprising his father as signatory through an
assignment for a consideration of one thousand rupees. The RP says
Sawhney (R1) has meticulously programmed diversion of the whole value of
the corporate debtor to other entities by defrauding its creditors.
17. Until before this Corporate Debtor stopped doing filings before RoC,
Pipetel was a subsidiary of the Corporate Debtor holding 51%shares, Net4
Network was wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporate Debtor. And until
before the financial creditor issued notice demanding repayment of money
borrowed by the Corporate Debtor, on record, no information was available
in public domain reflecting that the corporate debtor transferred its
shareholding in Pipetel and Net4 Network to Trak Online, the CD transferred
its business to Net4 Network through Master Reseller Agreement, the CD
transferred trademarks net4 and net4 with different suffixes to Mr.
Sawhney and dilution of the shareholding parties. All this has come out only
when the RP filed application asking for supply of material papers of the CD
to the RP.
18. The alleged transactions reflecting diversion of the valuable asset of the
corporate debtor as a whole are reflected in the table below:
20. Indeed the Corporate Debtor had 51% of Pipetel shareholding, out of
that shareholding; it is shown as the CD on 01.04.2017 transferred 38000
shares to R4 in consideration of certain antecedent liabilities alleged to be
owed by the Corporate Debtor to R4.
21. As per the version of R1, the RP Counsel says, the shareholding of the
Corporate Debtor in Pipetel has been reduced to 17.98% from 51%. Though
transfer is recorded in the ledger of the Corporate Debtor on 01.04.2017, no
share transfer forms have been provided by R1 to show that the shares have
been transferred in the name of R4.
22. The RP counsel submits that R2 was a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Corporate Debtor, as per the ledger of R4 provided by the Corporate Debtor,
on 25.01.2018, 35000 shares of R2 were shown as transferred by the
Corporate Debtor to R4 in consideration of certain of antecedent liability
allegedly owed by the Corporate Debtor to R4. Though the ledger of the
Corporate Debtor as on 25.01.2018 reflects transfer of the shares, no share
transfer forms have been provided reflecting that these transfers have been
done. It has been further shown that preference shares were issued to one
Mr. Mohit Jain and Ms. Neha Gandhi Dua reducing the shareholding of the
Corporate Debtor in R2 to 18.40%.
24. The RP Counsel says, the effect of all these alleged transactions is the
revenue that was coming to the CD from two lac customers, has started
going to R2. Now the entire technology, infrastructure and business
operations of the CD are in the control of R2.
26. When the RP has brought all these issues to the attention of the
Adjudicating Authority in IA-4012 of 2020, this Bench vide its order
25.09.2020 disposed of the said application with a direction to R1 to make
payments to the Registries and address all compliance issues as on October
2020.Despite several directions from this Bench, R2 has failed to clear the
dues. Till date, the RP has not been given access to any systems of the
Corporate Debtor, the password provided by the Promoter after directions of
this Bench are all incorrect. The turnover of the Corporate Debtor for the
year ending 31.03.2016 was ₹33Crore, but now the current revenue of the
Corporate Debtor is NIL. On that basis, the RP says that the minimum
annual diversion of revenue of the CD would be approximately ₹33Crore for
each year, for the financial years 2017-18, 2018-19 having already passed
after alleged diversion of the business, the minimum diversion of the revenue
from the company up to July 2019 was estimated at ₹78Crore, if it is
calculated up to Nov’2020, it would be ₹123Crore.
28. As per the purported Master Reseller Agreement, R2 was to incur all
costs and to share 25% of profits from the business with the Corporate
Debtor. However, from the books of the accounts, it is observed that the
Corporate Debtor made payments for domain purchases. Further the books
of the accounts reflect an amount of ₹3.48Crore was payable to R2 in
Apr’2017 and it was increased to ₹8.45Crore on CIRP commencement date,
therefore instead of the Corporate Debtor receiving the profits as mentioned
in the alleged Reseller Agreement, the Corporate Debtor is shown as indebted
to R2.
30. The Respondents side further submits that by the time of transfer of
Pipetel shares to Trak Online by the Corporate Debtor, Pipetel had negative
valuation, therefore looking at acquisition of loss making company shares,
an opinion cannot be formed that R4 is in a better position than the other
creditors falling within the ambit of Sec. 53 of the Code. Moreover, the RP
has not placed valuation of the shares of Pipetel reflecting that those shares
have some economic value and they were transferred to R4 so as to cause
unlawful gain to R4, thereby no relief could be passed under Sec.43 & 45 of
the Code. Moreover, the share transfer transactions were not carried in the
look back period of two years.
32. With regard to the estimated loss of ₹78Crore to the Corporate Debtor
calculated by the applicant, the Respondent side says that when it is
admitted as revenue to the Company, such revenue purportedly come into
R4 cannot be straight away treated as profit to R4. Revenue as it is will not
become profit, expenses and other costs shall be deducted from the revenue.
In view thereof, he says, how such revenue could be held out as estimated
profit to the corporate debtor incurring significant losses for 5 to 6 years
before admission of the company petition.
33. R2 says that in the CoC meeting, Resolution Plan was approved for
₹2.5Crore, out of which, the Resolution Applicant has deposited only
₹50Lakhs. With regard to the remaining amount, the Resolution Applicant
has proposed to raise the debt for the Resolution Plan. From one side, the RP
says that the estimated revenue generation is around ₹78Crore since 2016,
then how the CD could be sold to the Resolution Applicant for only
₹2.5Crore. The respondents’ side says that it is nothing but reflecting that
the RP in connivance with the Resolution Applicant decimated the value of
the CD. When Net.4 Network (R2) has taken over the business of the
Corporate Debtor, the Corporate Debtor was financially in bad shape, and its
infrastructure was 7 to 10 years old, its employees already left the company.
The Authority had sealed its Bank Account. After Master Reseller Agreement
was executed in favour of R2, R4 has set up new infrastructure, hired new
people, developed new modern software to keep the business running.
14
34. As per the version of the Respondents, it appears that R1 entered into
Right to Use Trademark and Domain Names Agreement with the Corporate
Debtor on 01.09.2000, by which, the Corporate Debtor was using the
Trademark net4 as its name until before it was alleged to have been assigned
back to R1 for a consideration of ₹1,000. By this agreement, at least this
could be understood that this trade name net4 was allowed to be used by
the Corporate Debtor until it was assigned back to R1. It is not known as to
whether any business was there in the Year 2000 when this trade mark was
alleged to have been used by the Corporate Debtor. But over a period of time,
the Corporate Debtor has been known to everybody with this name and it
has done all its business through this trade name only. The story of R1 is,
R1 is the person envisioned internet related businesses/services and
therefore coined the names NET4, NET4 INTERNET, NET4 INDIA and various
other names with net4 as prefix from 1999 till date i.e., 01.09.2000.
Therefore, R1 is the rightful owner of all the intellectual property rights, or
any future registration of trademarks, trade names or domain names with
net4 as a prefix or net4 on its own. For this reason alone, he says, he
allowed the Corporate Debtor to use these names and domain names for its
web services business through Right to Use Agreement dated 01.09.2000.
Thereafter, the Corporate Debtor registered this trademark “net4” in its
name with Trademark Authority on 16.05.2001 ever since, this trademark
was used by the Corporate Debtor. The Respondents Counsel says, since R1
is the original rightful owner of this trademark “net4”, the Corporate Debtor
assigned this trademark “net4” to R1 through an Assignment Deed dated
10.01.2017 for a consideration of ₹1,000. Based on that document, this
Assignment Deed was registered reflecting transfer of Trademark “net4” to
R1.
35. The story held out by the promoter director (R1) lacks merit for the
reasons mentioned below:
15
believe that this trademark was originally owned by R1, therefore his
assertion that it was assigned to him because it was originally belonged to
him cannot be given any credence without any proof; hence we cannot
believe any of his statements.
38. Like we said earlier, though net4 trademark is a valuable asset of the
Corporate Debtor, the value assigned to it is only one thousand rupees. It is
pertinent to mention that since R1 has categorically asserted that it is not a
valuable asset, it has to be proved that it is not valuable for more than one
thousand rupees. When specific assertion is made that this transaction is
not fraudulent in nature and it is not an effort to siphon out the valuable
asset of the debtor company so as to defraud its creditors, for all this
information is understood to have been in the special knowledge of R1, duty
is cast upon R1 to prove that net4 trade mark originally belonged to him and
it was legally and as per the procedure assigned to him before look back
period. Since R1 in this case has failed prove any of the facts ascertained by
him, it is to be believed that action of R1 clearly falls within the ambit of
Sec.66 r/w section 45 of the Code. It cannot be said that burden lies upon
the RP to prove all these aspects, because the RP has no knowledge about
any of the facts aforementioned, he is authorised to take the stock of the
situation as provided to him, form an opinion and report it to this Bench and
the CoC. Since the company records accrue over a period of time, when
supporting documents are not present to an action asserted by the company
management and when such actions are doubtful and not taken place as per
the procedure laid under the Companies Act and the Code, it is then obvious
that the RP will report that such actions will fall under the transactions as
mentioned under the Code. It is exactly what the RP has done in this case. It
may be said here, since the RP has asserted that the management indulged
in avoidable transactions, undervalued transactions and fraudulent
17
39. The RP says R1 has stated that the CD owed to pay ₹4.60Core to Trak
online, R1 says to settle the said account, the CD transferred 38,000 shares
of Pipetel held by the CD to Trak Online as an adjustment against part of the
debt alleged to be payable by the CD to Trak Online. The RP is provided
secretarial audit report for the financial year ended 31st March 2017
reflecting the CD entering into a debt settlement agreement dated
26.05.2016 with Trak Online to clear its dues of ₹2Crore by transferring
38,000 shares of ₹10 each of Pipetel and balance amount of ₹2.60crore to be
paid in monthly instalments. For the CD having failed to make payment as
per the agreement dated 26.05.2016, R1 says, the CD entered into another
agreement dated 20.09.2016 with Trak Online to clear its dues of ₹1crore by
transferring its 35,000 shares of ₹10 each of Net4 Network (R2) to Trak
Online. And with regard to the balance amount of ₹1.67crore, the
respondents’ side says, it was to be paid in monthly instalments. After these
two share transfers, the CD shareholding in Net4 Network was reduced from
100% to 18.40% and the shareholding of the CD in Pipetel was reduced to
17.98% from 51%.
40. The Respondents side says that in view of the Hon’ble Supreme Court
judgment in Anuj Jain, IRP for JP Infratec v. Axis Bank, 2020 SCC Online
SC 237, Pipetel shall be made as necessary party to this application, Pipetel
has not been joined as respondent in this application. He further says
notwithstanding as to whether this transaction falls within the ambit Section
43 and 44 of the Code, the RP shall ask for declaration requiring rectification
of the records of R2 and Pipetel under Section 59 of the Companies Act,
19
2013. R1 says that this transaction will not fall within the look back period
of two years preceding admission, apart from it, R1 says that since the CD
has suffered huge losses, it could not repay the debt of ₹4.6crore to
TrakOnline, therefore the CD was left with no option but to sell/transfer its
shareholding in the two companies as a set-off against the dues payable to
TrakOnline.
41. After examining who has done what, it is found that R1 is the author
of all these transactions, therefore duty is cast upon him to establish that
these transactions have been done during the times he has mentioned and
complied with the procedure set out under the Companies Act and other
Regulatory laws because the Corporate Debtor is a listed company. We shall
also mention that if these transactions have timely been shown as entered in
the records of the Regulatory Bodies and the corporate debtor records on
accrual basis, may be then it could be said that burden is shifted to the
person (RP) asserting that these transactions are fraudulent in nature. Here
in this case, the Corporate Debtor failed to upload any paper to MCA web
portal after 2016, all the transactions causing adverse impact upon the
assets of the Corporate Debtor are alleged to have happened after 2016
balance sheet was filed by the Corporate Debtor, until the time balance sheet
for the year 2016 was filed, everything was intact with the corporate debtor.
For R1 alone is the person in know of all these facts, duty is cast upon him
to reveal all those facts and documents and establish those actions do not
fall within the scope of avoidance transactions, undervalued transactions
and fraudulent transactions. 42. The originals of the share purchase
agreements in relation to transfer of the CD shares in its 100% subsidiary
Net4 Network and in 51% subsidiary Pipetel to Trak Online have not been
produced till date. No board resolution has been disclosed reflecting the CD
transferring its shares in the aforesaid two companies to Trak Online.
43. Under Article 82A (k) of the AOA of the CD, so long as Madison India
Capital HC (Madison) held at least 3% of the CD shares, entry of any material
agreement by the CD with any group company/affiliates requires unanimous
approval of the Board of Directors or at least the approval of each of the
20
46. Under Section 174 (1) of the Companies Act, 2013, the quorum of
Board meeting shall be 1/3rd of its total strength or Two Directors whichever
is higher. As per Section 174 (3) of the Companies Act, 2013, if the number
of interested Directors exceeds or is equal to 2/3rds of the Board of Directors,
the number of uninterested Directors present at the meeting shall not be less
than two. Admittedly, the CD at the time of execution of alleged share
transfer deeds had three Directors, of which Amarjeet Sawhney and Jasjith
Singh Sawhney (R1) are father and son; it is how they are related to each
other. Since it is showing only three directors were on Board, if the father
and the son are treated as interested directors, it is obvious that such
meeting could not have quorum with two uninterested directors. Therefore
21
47. The Secretarial Audit Report provided for the financial year 2016 -17
dated 31st March, 2017 has not reflected that the CD has filed MGT-14 with
the ROC. As per Section 117 (1) of The Companies Act, 2013, copy of every
resolution or agreement dealing with the aspects specified in Section 117 (3)
of the Act shall be filed with ROC within 30 days of date of passing such
resolution. For the Board has not obtained unanimous approval to pass a
resolution to transfer the shares held by the CD and quorum was not
constituted as stated under Section 174 of the Act, the actions held out by
R1 could not be taken into consideration to believe that the share transfers
have been done within the look back period and not to defraud the creditors
of the CD.
DIVERSION OF BUSINESS
48. In the application filed u/s 19(3), Sawhney for the first time came up
with an averment in his reply stating that the CD entered into a Master
Reseller Agreement dated 20.10.2016 with Net4 Network, by which Net4
Network is managing all the operations of the CD and providing services to
its customers. The reason given for such transaction is, Net4 India having
suffered with huge losses for few years, Net4 Network was appointed as
Master Reseller to continue the business of the CD.
49. But to prove that the directors of the CD transferred its business to
Net4 Network for the benefit of the corporate debtor, duty is cast upon the
directors of the corporate debtor to prove that this business was transacted
at the relevant point of time and timely reporting has been done and the
transaction is transparent and it is for the benefit of the corporate debtor
and its creditors. Let us see what the directors of the Corporate Debtors have
done.
50. The CD entering into Master Reseller Agreement with Net4 Network is
a related party transaction, as per Section 188 of the Companies Act, 2013,
the CD was required to take Board approval before entering into such
22
51. The reason is not known for not providing the original of the Master
Reseller Agreement (MSA) to the RP till date. These Respondents have so far
not provided the Board Resolution of the Corporate Debtor as contemplated
under the Companies Act 2013. We shall not forget that Net4 Network was
originally wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporate Debtor. Net4 Network
was calculatedly taken out from the hold of the corporate debtor and then
MSA was executed devolving the business of the CD to Net4 Network. The
interest of the creditors of the corporate debtor is paramount consideration
when a company is likely to go into insolvency, when the respondents
themselves say that the corporate debtor is in huge losses, can they divert
the business to some other entity without putting it to the creditors of the
corporate debtor?
since the sole asset valuing the company is taken out, the statement of the
Promoter Director shall not be believed in the absence of proof reflecting all
these transactions are not only genuine and for the benefit of the corporate
debtor and its creditors but also to show that they are not hit by the
provisions of the Code.
53. In a business like this, the valuable assets would be trade names,
licenses, registrations and services. When these assets have been taken out
from the company one after another, the value of the company would vanish
within no time. It is not the case of R1 that the Corporate Debtor did not do
any business at any point of time, had it been so, there would not have been
any occasion for transfer of its shareholding, its business and its trade
names to various other entities.
54. As per the records shown by the corporate debtor in the year 2016, the
turnover of products or service category was about ₹32.18Crore. As on
31.03.2016, Net4 Network was loss making company.
evidence does not mean taking only oral evidence; it also includes taking
evidence through affidavits and documents. If for any reason it is assumed
that Evidence Act is not applicable to Tribunals, there is no bar at least in
taking the logic and the clue from Evidence Act to arrive to truth by applying
the principles envisaged in it. It shall be mentioned that section 424 of The
Companies Act 2013 is amended so as to make it applicable to the Code as
well, in the said section; NCLT is vested with the same powers as are vested
in civil court in receiving evidence as stated in the Evidence Act.
57. Now the issue for determination is whether all this has happened to
defraud the Creditors or not. It is to be seen who has to prove this fact, is it
the RP to prove or R1 to prove that all these transactions have happened in
the ordinary course of business and also occurred before the look back
period mentioned in Section 43 of the Code and it has not been done to
defraud the Creditors.
58. Whenever anybody desires any Court, as stated in Section 101 of the
Evidence Act, to give judgment as to any legal right or liability, the person
asserting such right shall prove that those facts exist. Initially the RP having
stated that the shareholding of the CD was illegally transferred, the CD
business was diverted, trademark of the CD was assigned to R1, it is obvious
that those facts have to be proved by R1.
25
60. The respondents have not placed any of the originals reflecting these
transactions either before this Bench or provided to the RP till date. Since
these are the facts to be proved on examination, it is the duty of the
respondents to place those originals but they failed to produce them in
originals. It is not the case of the respondents that they lost those
documents, therefore these documents shall be considered as secondary
26
evidence. Suppose they are lost, it is the duty of those respondents to prove
that they are lost; simply by putting up a pleading that they are lost will not
serve the purpose.
61. Since the CD is a listed company, in case any transfer of share holding
has happened, it is the bounden duty of R1and other respondents to notify
that fact to SEBI within 30 days from the date of such transfer, that has not
happened in this case, R1 has not placed any Board Resolution reflecting
such transfer has happened at the date they have mentioned in the
document, in this backdrop, it is to be treated that the respondents failed to
prove that aspect therefore it can’t be believed that Board has taken a
decision with regard to the transfer of shareholding. It is the bounden duty of
the Company to upload the Forms with ROC from time to time as and when
any resolution is passed by the Company but not even a single resolution
has been filed with the ROC reflecting that the Company passed resolution
for transfer of shareholding or for transfer of the business of the company or
for transfer of trademark to R1. As to Master Reseller Agreement is
concerned, the domain name registration being the main business of the
Company, the CD shall pass special resolution reflecting transfer of the asset
of the CD to Net4 Network, but no such resolution is stated to have been
passed nor any such resolution is notified to the ROC reflecting transfer of
business of the Corporate Debtor to Net4 Network. Based on the failure of R1
and answering respondents to prove existence of facts as stated by them, it is
to be construed they failed to prove transfer of shareholding of Net4 Network
and Pipetel to Trak Online.
62. Since Company records are structured in such a way that every
transaction that happens in the Company is recorded not only in the
Company records but also with various regulating authorities on accrual
basis as stated under the Companies Act, those transactions are to be
presumed as true, unless they are rebutted. Such being the structuring of
recording of facts, every fact need not be insisted upon to be proved by
adducing oral evidence because records are available for ascertaining as to
whether such fact has happened or not. In view thereof, when there is no
27
record of accrual of any fact asserted by a party, those facts need not be
treated as in existence. Here transfer of shareholding is not shown as
recorded anywhere in the records, execution of Master Reseller Agreement is
not shown as recorded anywhere in the records, Assignment of Trademark is
not shown as recorded anywhere in the records, therefore we are of the view
that all these are not believable facts. The respondents have placed the
ledger account reflecting transfer of shareholding, if at all it is accrued in the
ledger records, it should have been recorded in other records as well but
those records have not been placed before this Bench.
63. It is a fact that all records of the Company at least, until before
admission remained in the custody of the Management of the Corporate
Debtor, therefore they could have recorded all these facts in the records of
the Company and those records could have been supplied to the RP
reflecting timely accrual of all these facts in the records of the CD and the
regulating authority but that has not been done. As on today there is no
material on record to show that Master Reseller Agreement has been
executed and that has been executed on particular date as mentioned by the
CD, therefore it has to be held that the erstwhile management of the CD has
miserably failed in proving transfer of the business of the CD through Master
Reseller Agreement on the date mentioned by them and as per the procedure
laid under the Companies Act, 2013.
64. On perusal of the factual aspect of this case and the affidavits filed by
both the parties in the applications aforementioned, we observe that the RP
asserted that R1 got transferred the shareholding of the CD lying in Net4
Network and Pipetel to Trak Online, R1 got executed Master Reseller
Agreement in favour of Net4 Network by the CD to transfer the business of
the CD to Net4 Network, R1 got “net4” trademarks in the name of him
through an assignment deed before admission of the present Company
Petition. The corollary submission of the RP is the entire value of the assets
of the CD was taken out from the CD and put it in Net4 Network and
shareholding of Net4 Network and Pipetel was transferred to Trak Online
defrauding the creditors of the CD.
28
65. With regard to the contention of the Respondents that not making
Pipetel as the party to the proceedings is fatal to the proceedings, we hold
that since Pipetel is not going to be affected either by cancelling the transfer
of shares held by the Corporate Debtor to Trak Online and since shares are
freely transferable from one person to another under the Companies Act, not
making Pipetel as a party to this proceeding will not have any adverse effect
over Pipetel.
67. The transactions afore mentioned will not be called as transfers made in
the ordinary course of business, as to the business of the CD, providing
domain service and collection of license fees will fall within the perspective of
ordinary course of business.
Reliefs
70. For the transactions afore mentioned being declared as null and void,
u/s 66 & 67 of the Code, whatever business so far Net4 Network held from
the date of alleged transfer of business shall be inspected by an auditor
appointed by this Bench on the suggestion made by the RP within 15 days
thereof, and the auditor shall determine the opportunity loss to the CD
within 30 days from the date of his appointment. Upon approval of the said
report by this Authority, the promoter director Mr Jasjith Singh Sawhney
(R1) shall pay back the loss estimated by the auditor to the CD because R1 is
the person caused all these fraudulent transactions happened. R1 shall
produce all relevant records within seven days from the date of receipt of
request from the auditor to be appointed by this Bench.
SD/-
(B.S.V PRAKASH KUMAR)
ACTG. PRESIDENT
SD/-
(HEMANT KUMAR SARANGI)
MEMBER (TECHNICAL
07.05.2021
Vineet