MCS Amendments Introduced in August 2023
MCS Amendments Introduced in August 2023
MCS Amendments Introduced in August 2023
Amendments
Introduced in August
2023
CORPORATE LAWS
(INCLUDING COMPANIES ACT,
2013)
A. Durga Builders Pvt Ltd vs. Registrar of Companies & Anr [NCLAT]
Facts :
A. The Company Durga Builders (“Appellant”) was in litigation and therefore, could not filed
financial statements as required under the Companies Act, 2013.
B. Without giving him an opportunity of being heard, RoC (“Respondent”) struck off the name
of the Appellant Company’s from the Register maintained by him.
C. The Appellant filed a petition for restoration of the name of the company with the NCLT
which rejected the same. Aggrieved, the Appellant filed the instant appeal.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Appellant (Durga).
Conclusion –
The Court orders the RoC to restore the name of the company and also directed that after
restoration of the Company’s name in the Register maintained by the RoC, the Company would
file all their Annual Returns and Balance Sheets.
Facts :
A. There were questions of law in this matter related to the following –
a. What is the scope and ambit of Section 59 of the Companies Act, 2013 to rectify the
register of members?
b. Which is the appropriate forum for adjudication and determination of violations and
consequent actions under the SEBI (SAST) Regulations 1997 and the SEBI (PIT)
Regulations 1992?
Decision –
The Court laid down the following principles.
Conclusion –
The Court passed the above orders.
C. Garish Oberoi & Ors vs. Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India & Anr
[NCLAT]
Facts :
A. The Executive Committee proposed to amend clauses of the AoA of FHRAI was under challenge
related to the process of election of President of FHRAI for the year 2018-19, which was
opposed by the Eastern Region members against the proposal of the members of Northern and
Western Regions.
B. The Eastern Region Executive Committee members decided to put forward the name of Mr.
Sudesh Kumar Poddar, a fully qualified contestant, as the sole candidate for the post of
President of FHRAI and the members of Executive Committee from Northern and Western
Regions were insistent on accepting any member as President except Mr. Sudesh Kumar Poddar,
without any rationale.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Respondent (Hotel).
Conclusion –
The Court passed an order holding the acts of Mr. Girish to constitute acts leading to
mismanagement of the affairs of the company covered under sections 241-242.
Facts :
A. The name of the company was struck off by the ROC on the grounds that the company did
not have any operations for the said years.
B. The Appellant filed a petition for restoration of the name of the company with the NCLT
which rejected the same. Aggrieved, the Appellant filed the instant appeal.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Appellant (Mukesh).
Conclusion –
The Court passed an order directing restoration of the name of the company.
Facts :
A. The Appellant herein was only a Member of the Church and he had not filed any documentary
evidence to substantiate that any of the requirements under Section 2(55) of the Companies
Act, 2013.
B. There was a four layered Election Process to become a Member of the Company which were
not completed by the Appellant in the instant case.
C. However, the Appellant filed a petition for oppression and mismanagement against the Church
seeking exemptions under Section 244.
D. NCLT dismissed the petition. Aggrieved, the Appellant filed the instant appeal.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Respondent (Church).
Conclusion –
The Court passed an order rejecting the appeal.
Facts :
A. Proceedings were initiated against the Auditors of IL&FS under Section 140 of the Act.
Subsequently the Auditors resiegned from the post and filed a petition seeking quashing of the
proceedings initiated against them on account of their resignation.
B. High Court permitted such quashing of the procedings. Aggrieved, the instant appeal was filed.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Appellants (Union).
Conclusion –
The Court passed an order upholding the views of NCLT and rejecting the view of the High
Court.
G. Official Liquidator, Calcutta vs. Ujjain Nagar Palika Nigam & Ors [SC]
Facts :
A. The dispute between OL and Nigam was with regard to the rates and taxes for the period
between 10.07.1997 (being the date on which the company was ordered to be wound up) and
04.07.2003 (being the date on which the sale in favour of the purchaser was confirmed).
B. Part rejection of the claim of 1 Nigam by the OL, in relation to the period aforesaid between
10.07.1997 to 04.07.2003 was not approved by the Company Court while observing that post-
liquidation liabilities were to be treated as part of the costs of winding up of the company in
liquidation and such liability would get priority over all other liabilities of the company.
C. The Company Court observed and reiterated that the principle of priority of certain creditors
would be applicable to the liability of the company at the time of passing of the order of
winding up but, costs and expenses incurred on behalf of the company in winding up were to
be paid in full; and the liability of the company to pay rates and taxes would not automatically
come to an end with the order of winding up.
D. The Division Bench summarised its conclusion that the claim in question was that of a post-
liquidation liability which the OL was obliged to discharge in absence of a clear provision in
the sale notice obliging the intended purchaser to satisfy himself as regards the assets of the
company in liquidation in all respects, including encumbrances.
E. The question in this case was as to whether the claims so made by the Nigam towards property
tax and water tax pertaining to the post- liquidation period, from the date of order of winding
up and until the date of confirmation of sale of assets to the auction purchaser, were admissible
against the OL.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Respondent (Nigam).
2. That the liability on account of the property tax and water tax claimed by the respondent to
the extent rejected by the OL has been a post liquidation liability, which the OL was obliged
to discharge.
Conclusion –
The Court held that the liquidator will have to make payments of the taxes incurred even after
the order of winding up was passed.
A. Union of India through Deputy Legal Adviser, Directorate of Enforcement vs. Kamal Chand
Facts :
A. The Adjudicating Authority imposed a penalty of INR 16 crore on Shri Kamal Chand Proprietor
of M/s. Anjaneya Enterprises for contravention of provisions of FEMA 1999 and Regulation
thereunder involving amount of Rs. 15,21,95,977/- (Rupees Fifteen Crore Twenty One Lakh
Ninety FiveThousand Nine Hundred and Seventy Seven only).
B. Penalty of Rs. 16,00,00,000/- comprised of Rs. 8,00,00,000 for the contravention of the
provisions of Section 10(6) of FEMA, 1999 r/w Regulation 6(1) of Foreign Exchange Management
(Realisation, Repatriation and Surrender of Foreign Exchange) Regulations, 2000 and Rs.
8,00,00,000 (Rupees Eight Crore only) for the contravention of the provisions of Section 3(b)
of FEMA, 1999.
C. The Appellant filed the instant appeal stating that the quantum of penalty imposed was highly
unreasonable and ridiculously low despite the charges against the respondent having been
upheld on merit by the Adjudicating Authority.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Respondent (Kamal).
Conclusion –
The Court held that the penalty imposed could not be increased.
INSOLVENCY LAWS
A. Andhra Pradesh State Financial Corporation vs. Kalptaru Steel Rolling Mills Ltd & Ors
[NCLAT]
Facts :
A. The corporate debtor had mortgaged the property and handed over the title deeds to the
appellant.
B. NCLT, while approving the Resolution Plan, also passed an order allowing the application filed
by the Resolution Professionals seeking direction to the Appellant for releasing original title
deeds of the property mortgaged with the Appellant by the Corporate Debtor.
C. Aggrieved, the appellant filed the instant appeal.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the respondents (Kalptaru)
Conclusion –
The Court dismissed the appeals.
Facts :
A. The NCLT admitted an application under section 9 of IBC initiating CIRP against the corporate
debtor.
B. Aggrieved, the corporate debtor filed an appeal on the following grounds-
a. That the order was passed without the corporate debtor being given an opportunity of being
heard.
b. That there existed an arbitration clause between the two parties.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Respondent (kabamy).
Conclusion –
The Court held that CIRP was rightly initiated.
C. Supriyo Kumar Chaudhuri & Anr vs. Jhunjhunwala Oil Mills Ltd & Anr
[NCLAT]
Facts:
A. Two IAs were filed by Jhunjhunwala Oil Mills Limited (in short ‘JOML’) praying for direction
to the Resolution Professional (in short ‘RP’) of the corporate debtor JVL Agro Industries Pvt.
Ltd. (in short ‘JVL Agro’ ) to pay the rent along with interest of the premises owned by
JOML which was used by JVL Agro and also to vacate the premises of JOML.
B. The Appellant/JOML was aggrieved by the part of the order whereby vacant possession of the
said premises has not been directed to be handed over to JOML and further the rent directed
to be paid is as per the assessment done by the District Magistrate and not the amount of
Rs. six lakhs plus GST per month, which was agreed to between the two parties.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Appellant (Supriyo).
Conclusion –
Facts:
A. By way of this writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner sought
for an appropriate writ, direction or order striking down Section 327(7) of the Companies Act,
2013 as arbitrary and violative of Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
B. The petitioner also sought for an appropriate direction so as to leave the statutory claims of
the “workmen’s dues” out of the purview of waterfall mechanism under Section 53 of the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. A
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Appellant (Supriyo).
4. That Sections 326 and 327 of the Act, 2013 shall not be applicable in the event of liquidation
under the IBC, which has been necessitated in view of the enactment of IBC and it applies
with respect to the liquidation of a company under the IBC, Section 327(7) of the Act, 2013
cannot be said to be arbitrary and/or violative of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. In
case of the liquidation of a company under the IBC, the distribution of the assets shall have
to be made as per Section 53 of the IBC subject to Section 36(4) of the IBC, in case of
liquidation of company under IBC.
Conclusion –
The Court held the above principles.
Facts:
A. The Resolution Professional (respondent herein) of the corporate debtor Amtek Auto Ltd filed
I.A. No.225 of 2020 before the Adjudicating Authority seeking approval of the resolution plan.
B. The Adjudicating Authority dismissed the application filed by the appellants being I.A. No.62
of 2020 seeking to include its claim in the resolution plan and observed that the appellants
have not lent any money to the Corporate Debtor and the Corporate Debtor did not owe any
financial debt to the appellants except the pledge of shares was to be executed. Therefore, the
NCLT observed that the appellants not having advanced any money to the Corporate Debtor
as a financial debt would not be coming within the purview of financial creditor of the Corporate
Debtor.
C. Making above observations, the NCLAT dismissed the appeal. Hence the present appeal before
the Supreme Court.
Decision –
The Court decided partially in favour of both the parties.
Conclusion –
The Court held the above principles.
COMPETITION LAWS
Facts :
A. On the basis of an application filed under Section 46 of the Act read with Regulation 5 of the
Competition Commission of India (Lesser Penalty) Regulations, 2009 by Crown Beers India
Ltd and SABMiller India Pvt Ltd against all the Respondents alleging cartelisation in relation
to the production, marketing, distribution and sale of Beer in India, suo moto proceeding was
initiated which was numbered as Suo Moto Case No.6/2017.
B. CCI formed an opinion that prima facie the conduct of appellants and private respondents in
contravention of provisions of Section 3(1) read with Section 3(3)(a) of the Act and by its
order directed the Director Generalto conduct investigation and submit report.
C. CCI directed the parties to cease and desist in future from indulging in any
practice/conduct/activity, which was found in the to be in contravention of the Act.
D. Aggrieved by the Order of CCI Appeal before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal.
During the hearing the Appellants inter alia have raised the contention that there was no
'judicial member' in the CCI and hence the entire proceedings are void.
Decision –
The Court decided in favour of the Respondent (CCI).
Conclusion –
NCLAT held that there was no problem in the validity of the order.
INTERPRETATION OF STATUTES
Facts :
A. This application was filed under Section 36 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 by
Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd. seeking execution of an arbitral award
passed by Sole Arbitrator.
B. Amprapali submitted that the impugned award had been challenged under Section 34 of the
Act before the City Civil Court.
Decision –
The Court laid down the following principles.
Conclusion –
The Court set aside the impugned award.