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IBC - NCLAT Jdgements
IBC - NCLAT Jdgements
NO. NAME
1. Guruchara Appellants challenged the order In view of the section 5(21),
n Singh passed by NCLT Delhi where under there is a ‘debt’ due to the
Soni and application preferred by Appellants – appellants and there is default
Kuldeep “operational creditor” has been on part of the respondents-
Kaur Soni rejected in terms of order passed in ‘Corporate Debtor’. However,
Vs. “Sanjiwe Kunwar V AMR the appellants do not come
Unitech Infrastructure” within the meaning of
Ltd. Operational Creditor”
2. Palogix ICICI Bank Ltd., Financial Creditor NCLAT observed that the ‘I&B
Infrastruct (“ICICI”) filed an application under Code’ is a complete Code by itself
ure private section 7 of the code for initiation of and the provision of the Power of
Ltd vs the CIRP against Palogix Infrastructure Attorney Act, 1882 cannot
ICICI override the specific provision of a
Pvt. Ltd., Corporate Debtor
Bank Ltd. statute which requires that a
(“Palogix”). particular act should be done by a
person in the manner as prescribed
there under. NCLAT held that a
‘Power of Attorney Holder’ is not
competent to file an application on
behalf of a ‘Financial Creditor’ or
‘Operational Creditor’ or
‘Corporate Applicant’. NCLAT
held that a power of attorney
holder is not authorised to present
application for CIRP under
sections 7, 9 and 10 of the Code.
It is only authorised representatives,
duly authorised by board resolution,
who are eligible to present the
same.
Thus, only an authorised person
of the Financial
Creditor/Operational Creditor or
Corporate Applicant can make an
application under Section 7, 9
and 10 of the Code. Therefore, a
‘Power of Attorney Holder’ is
not competent to file an
application for CIRP under the
Code on behalf of a ‘Financial
Creditor’ or ‘Operational Creditor’
or ‘Corporate Applicant’
4. Mack Soft The Quinn Group of companies is NCLAT laid down the
Tech Pvt. based out of Ireland and has multiple exceptions to the situation in
Ltd Vs. subsidiaries across various which the time period
Quinn geographies. The promoters of the intervening the insolvency
Logistic Quinn Group took loans from the resolution process period can
erstwhile Anglo-Irish Bank (now be excused from the count of
known as The Irish Bank Resolution 270 days. The same are as
Corporation) via Quinn finance and follows:
invested that money in various
countries. Instead of paying back the (1) if the resolution
bank, illegal transactions were process is stayed by the
allegedly undertaken to remove all adjudicating authority,
companies from the hold of the NCLAT or the
Quinn group. IBRC took control of Supreme Court;
Quinn Finance and Quinn Logistics
India due to loan defaults by Quinn (2) in case of lack of
group companies. functioning of a
Mack Soft Tech was created in 2003 resolution professional;
by the Quinn Group as a Special
Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in India. The (3) the period between
Q-City project was funded by Quinn the admission of
Finance vide subscription to insolvency application
Compulsory Convertible debentures and the actual date
of Mack Soft of Rs 143 crore; Quinn from which the
Logistics India by providing inter resolution professional
corporate deposit to Mack Soft of Rs takes charge of the
63 crore. matter;
Quinn Logistics India filed for
insolvency of Mack Soft Tech and (4) when an order is
the petition was admitted by NCLT, reserved by the
Hyderabad Bench, vide order dated adjudicating authority,
11 August 2017. Quinn Finance and NCLAT or the
Quinn Logistics are requesting that Supreme Court;
the shareholding is given back from
Mecon to Mack Soft so that
(5) when the NCLAT
liquidation process is completed. The
sets aside the corporate
amount in question for Quinn
insolvency resolution
Finance is Rs 143.6 crores and Rs
62.9 crores to Quinn Logistics.
process or when its
decision is reversed by
the Supreme Court.
7. Nikhil The Nikhil Mehta and Sons claiming NCLAT held that. Nikhil Mehta
Mehta and themselves to be Financial Creditors, and Sons in this case were
Sons HUF filed application under section 7 of the “investors” and had chosen the
Vs. Amr Code before NCLT, Principal Bench, “committed return plan”. AMR
infrastruct New Delhi.The NCLT, Principal Bench, Infrastructure in turn agreed upon to
ure Ltd. New Delhi rejected the application on the pay monthly committed return to the
ground that Nikhil Mehta and Sons in this investors. Thus, the amount due to
case were not financial creditors to AMR Nikhil Mehta and Sons – buyers
Infrastructure Ltd., Corporate Debtor, came within the meaning of “debt”
(“AMR Infrastructure”). defined under section 3(11) of the
The question to be decided by Code. Furthermore, NCLAT noted
NCLAT was whether the aforesaid from the Annual Return and Form
arrangement was a simple sale transaction 16-A of the AMR Infrastructure
and Nikhil Mehta and Sons were mere that they had treated the buyers,
buyers or, whether Nikhil Mehta and Nikhil Mehta and Sons as
Sons were financial creditors under “investors” and borrowed amount
section 5 (7) read with section 5(8) of the pursuant to sale purchase
Code and therefore allowed to make an agreement for their commercial
application under section 7 of the purpose was treated at par with
Code. loan in income tax return filed by
AMR Infrastructure.
8. PEC Ltd The Appellant- ‘M/s. PEC Ltd.’ is a The Adjudicating Authority
vs. Sree Government of India Enterprise, and failed to appreciate that the
Ramkrish is a ‘Financial Creditor’ of application(s) preferred by
na Alloys Respondent(s)- ‘Corporate Debtor(s)’ Appellant under Section 7 of
Ltd The case of the Appellant is that the the ‘I&B Code’ cannot be
Respondent- ‘M/s. Sree treated as an application under
Ramakrishna Alloys Limited’ Section 9 of the ‘I&B Code’
defaulted of Rs.15,16,26,907/- as on and the Appellant who is a
6th March, 2017. Initially, on ‘Financial Creditor’ cannot be
demand, the Respondent- ‘M/s. Sree treated as ‘Operational
Ramakrishna Alloys Limited’ issued Creditor’.
three cheques which have been Also, if an application is filed
bounced, three Criminal Complaints by a person under Section 7 of
under Section 138 of the Negotiable the ‘I&B Code’ and in case the
Instrument Act, 1881 has been Adjudicating Authority comes
instituted against the said to the conclusion that the
Respondent Applicant is not a ‘Financial
The Appellant- ‘M/s. PEC Ltd’ filed Creditor’ in such case the
an application under Section 7 of the Adjudicating Authority has
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, jurisdiction to reject the
2016 (hereinafter referred to as application under Section 7 of
“I&B Code”) for initiation of the ‘I&B Code’, but the said
‘Corporate Insolvency Resolution Authority cannot treat the
Process’ against ‘M/s. Sree format of the application under
Ramakrishna Alloys Limited’. Section 7 of the ‘I&B Code’
The grievance of the Appellant is that (Form-1) as an application
though the application was preferred under Section 9 of the ‘I&B
by the Appellant under Section 7 of Code’ (Form-5), nor can treat
the ‘I&B Code’, at the request of such person an ‘Operational
the Respondent- ‘M/s. Sree creditor’, in absence of any
Ramakrishna Alloys Limited’ claim made under Section 9 of
(‘Corporate Debtor’), the application the ‘I&B Code’. Further, as the
has been treated to be an application informations required to be
under Section 9 of the ‘I&B Code’, given in Form-1 varies from
and order of admission has been the informations as required to
passed. be given in Form-5 (As per
Section 9), including
instructions made below the
requisite form(s), no
application filed under Section
7 can be treated as an
application under Section 9 of
the ‘I&B Code.
Both the appeals were allowed.
11. Kirusa The only question arises for Key takeaways of the
Software considered in this appeal is what does judgement:
Private "dispute" and "existence of dispute" the definition of ‘dispute’ under
Ltd Vs. means for the purpose of the IBC is an inclusive
Mobilox determination of a petition under definition and not exhaustive;
Innovation section 9 of the 'I & B Code'? the expression ‘includes’ used
s Private in the definition of ‘dispute’
Ltd should be read as ‘means and
includes’; the definition of
‘dispute’ under the IBC it
cannot be limited to pending
proceedings or ‘lis’ within the
limited ambit of suit or
arbitration proceedings;
‘dispute’ will embrace not just
suits or arbitrations but its
ambit will extend to
proceedings initiated or
pending before consumer
courts, tribunal, labour court or
mediation, conciliation etc. as
well as any action taken by a
corporate debtor under any act
or law such as replying to a
notice under section 80 of the
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908,
or an action under section 59 of
the Sale of Goods Act, 1930 or
an action regarding the quality
of goods or services provided
by an operation creditor; such
actions, suits, arbitrations,
proceedings before any court,
tribunal, or mediations etc.
must be in the context of a
debt, or quality of goods or
services or breach of
representation or warranty;
‘dispute’ must be raised (by the
corporate debtor) prior to the
notice for insolvency resolution
by an operational creditor
under section 8 of the IBC;
raising of a pending ‘dispute’
(by the corporate debtor)
cannot be a malafide dispute to
stall the insolvency resolution
process;
13. M/S The question arises for consideration It is true that under Section 36
Ksheeraba before the NCLAT is: of the Arbitration and
d “Whether pendency of a case before Conciliation Act, 1996, an
Constructi a Court under Section 34 of the Arbitral Award is executable as
ons Pvt. Arbitration and Conciliation Act, a decree. It can be enforced
Ltd Vs. 1996 can be termed to be 'dispute in only after the time for filing the
M/s. Vijay existence' for the purpose of application under Section 34
Nirman subsection (6) of Section 5 of the has expired and/or, if no
Company 'I&B Code'.” application is made or such
Pvt. Ltd. application having been made
has been rejected. Therefore,
for the purpose of Arbitration
and Conciliation Act, 1996, an
Arbitral Award reaches its
finality after expiry of
enforcement time or if the
application under Section 34 is
filed and rejected. However, for
the purpose of 'l&B Code' no
reliance can be placed on
Section 34 of the Arbitration
and Conciliation Act, 1996, for
the reasons stated below.
The 'I&B Code' being a
Complete Code will prevail
over all other Acts including
Arbitration and Conciliation
Act, 1996. As per, Section
238, provision of 'I&B Code'
is to override other laws,
including Arbitration Act,
1996. Therefore, the provision
under the 'I&B Code' with
regard to finality of an
Arbitral Award for initiation of
'Corporate Insolvency
Resolution Process' will
prevail the provisions of the
'Arbitration and Conciliation
Act, 1996'.
For the purpose of Section 9 of
the 'I&B Code', the
application to be preferred
under Form-5 of the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy (Application to
Adjudicating Authority) Rules,
2016 (hereinafter referred to as
"Rules, 2016") as per which,
the order passed by Arbitral
panel/Arbitral Tribunal has
been treated to be one of the
documents/ records and
evidence of default, as apparent
from Part V of Form 5.
The aforesaid provisions made
in the Form-5 if read with
subsection (6) of Section 5 and
Section 9 of the 'I&B Code' it is
clear that while pendency of
the suit or Arbitral Proceeding
has been termed to be an
'existence of dispute', an order
of a Court, Tribunal or Arbitral
Panel adjudicating on the
default (commonly known as
Award), has been treated to be
a "record of Operational Debt".
In view of the aforesaid
provisions of law and mandate
of 'I&B Code', we hold that no
person can take advantage of
pendency of a case under
Section 34 of the Arbitration
and Conciliation Act, 1996 to
stall 'Corporate Insolvency
Resolution Process' under
Section 9 of the 'I&B Code'.
14. Shriram Rio Glass Solar SA preferred an The application under Section 9
EPC ltd. application under section 9 of the was not maintainable due to
Vs. Rio Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, various reasons, accordingly,
Glass 2016 seeking to set in motion the the order was set aside and the
Solar SA Corporate Insolvency Resolution fees of “Interim Resolution
Process against the appellant Shriram Professional” appointed by
EPC Limited. Adjudicating Authority will be
NCLT, Chennai Bench admitted the paid by the Corporate Debtor
application, ordered moratorium, for the period he has
appointed “Interim Resolution functioned.
Professional” with order of
prohibition in terms of Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
The Corporate Debtor challenged the
said order and appeal before the
NCLAT.
16. Philips Operational Creditor had preferred Corporate debtor much prior to
India Ltd. two separate applications for issuance of notice under
Vs. initiation of Corporate Insolvency section 8 had raised a dispute
Goodwill Resolution Process invoking relating to quality of
Hospital provisions of Section 9 of service/maintenance pursuant
and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, to notice under sections 433(e)
research 2016 (IBC )for default in making and 434(1)(a) of the
centre Ltd. payment of Comprehensive Annual Companies Act, 1956 it can be
Karina Maintenance Contract. safely stated that there is
Healthcare ‘existence of dispute’ about
Pvt. Ltd. the claim of debt. Such
objection cannot be called
mere objection for the sake of
‘dispute’ and/or unrelated to
clause (a) or (b) or (c) of sub-
section (6) of section 5. Where
adjudicating authority has
accordingly refused to
entertain application under
section 9 of the Code, no
ground is made out for
interference with such orders
17. Ganesh Two issues were involved in the 1st issue: it is clear that the
Sponge order passed by the Adjudicating learned Adjudicating
Pvt. Ltd Authority. Authority is empowered to
Vs. Aryan Adjudicating Authority rejected the permit withdrawal of the
Mining joint application preferred by the application under Section 7, 9
and appellant and the respondent to or 10 of the I&B Code, as the
Trading withdraw the petition. case may be, on the request
Corporatio Appellant contended, that the made by the appellant before
n Pvt. Ltd. application was defective; the notice the admission, but such
under Section 8 was not issued by the withdrawal cannot be
'Operational Creditor' but by its permitted once the application
lawyer and also stated that there was is admitted. Thus, NCLAT in
‘existence of dispute’ regarding the absence of any illegality found
quality of goods. no ground to interfere with the
order of Adjudicating
Authority
19. Prowess An application for initiation of CIRP was NCLT dismissed the application.
Internation filed by Operational Creditor - Parker Upon appeal, NCLAT observed
al Pvt. Ltd. Hannifin India Pvt. Ltd. Immediately as under:
vs. Parker upon coming to know of the initiation of “where all creditors have been
Hannifin proceedings against it, Corporate Debtor - satisfied and there is no default
India Pvt. Prowess International Pvt. Ltd. with any other creditor, the
Ltd. (“Prowess”) settled its dues with the formality of submission of
operational creidot as well as other resolution plan under section 30 or
creditors. its approval under section 31 is
Prowess filed an application for closure required to be expedited on the
of the CIRP. basis of plan if prepared. In such
case, the Adjudicating Authority
without waiting for 180 days of
resolution process, may
approve resolution plan under
section 31, after recording its
satisfaction that all creditors have
been paid/ satisfied and any other
creditor do not claim any amount in
absence of default and required to
close the Insolvency Resolution
Process...
It is made clear that Insolvency
Resolution Process is not a
recovery proceeding to recover the
dues of the creditors. I & B Code,
2016 is an Act relating to
reorganisation and insolvency
resolution of corporate persons,
partnership firms and individuals in a
time bound manner ”
20. Neelkanth Neelkanth Township had subscribed to NCLAT held that section 5(8)
Township optionally convertible debentures issued by (c) of the Code makes it clear
and the Urban Infrastructure Trustees Ltd., that a debenture comes within
Constructi Corporate Debtor (“Urban the meaning of financial debt.
on Pvt. Infrastructure”). The debentures carried Thus, debenture certificates
Ltd. vs. nil or 1% p.a. interest rate and matured in issued by Corporate Debtor
Urban years 2011, 2012 and 2013. comes within the definition of
Infrastruct Before the NCLAT, Urban Infrastructure financial debt as it relates to
ure contended that Neelkanth Township is amount raised pursuant to
Trustees actually an investor and not a ‘Financial debentures.
Ltd Creditor’ as defined under the Code.
21. Falcon In this case, the main plea taken In this appeal filed by
Tyres was that an association of Falcon Tyres, the
Limited workmen had been impleaded honorable NCLAT in its
vs. due to the admission of the order stated that after the
Belthang application under the Code. admission of an application
ady for the initiation of
Taluk corporate insolvency
Rubber resolution, the association
Growers of workmen has no role to
Marketin play except their members,
g& individually, may file a
Processi claim to the RP. The RP
ng Co- would then process the
op. claim in accordance with
Society the provision of the Code.
Limited &
Anr.
24. Sandeep
Reddy &
Anr. vs.
Jaycon
Infrastructur
e Ltd
25. M/s
Innoventiv
e Industries
Ltd. vs.
ICICI
Bank &
Anr
26. Era Infra
Engineerin
g Ltd. vs.
Prideco
Commerci
al Projects
Pvt. Ltd.
27. Lokhandw
ala Kataria
Constructi
on Pvt.
Ltd. vs.
Nisus
Finance &
Investment
Mangaer
LLP [
28. Steel
Konnect
(India)
Private
Limited vs.
M/s Hero
Fincorp
Limited
29. Nikhil
Mehta and
Sons vs.
AMR
Infrastruct
ure Ltd
30. Sandeep
Reddy &
Anr. vs.
Jaycon
Infrastructur
e Ltd.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.