Employees Of Winsome Yarns vs Anil Kohli Resolution Professional For ...
- CitationCompany Appeal (AT) (Ins) No. 195 of 2026
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
The admitted amount of a creditor's claim, once admitted by the Resolution Professional and not challenged by any application before the Adjudicating Authority, cannot be reopened as an issue at the stage of consideration of approval of the resolution plan. Where the Adjudicating Authority has already, in an earlier order, held that dues of provident fund, gratuity and salary of employees and workmen will be considered at the time of approval of the resolution plan, those dues are to be considered at that stage in accordance with the compliance requirements of Section 30(2) and the Regulations, and the employees' interests are protected by that earlier direction. An application by employees seeking directions on dues already the subject of a reserved application, where the employees have no right to intervene in plan approval beyond what the Adjudicating Authority may ask of them, is not maintainable.
Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.
Judgment
As delivered
NATIONAL COMPANY LAW APPELLATE TRIBUNAL PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI Company Appeal (AT) (Ins) No. 195 of 2026 & I.A. No. 716 of 2026 IN THE MATTER OF: Employees of Winsome Yarns Ltd. ...Appellants Through Authorized Representative, Mr. Birendra Singh Versus Anil Kohli ...Respondents ARCK Resolution Professionals LLP Resolution Professional for Winsome Yarns Ltd.
Present: For Appellant : Mr. Ashwani Sharma, Advocate. For Respondents : Mr. Sandeep Bajaj, Ms. Honey Satpal, Mr. Mayank Biyani, Mr. Akash Agarwalla, Ms. Pooja Singh and Mr. Aman, Advocates for RP.
ORDER
(Hybrid Mode)
19.03.2026: Heard counsel for the appellant as well as Ld. Counsel for
the respondent.
2. This appeal has been filed against the order dated 28.11.2025 passed
by National Company Law Tribunal, Chandigarh Bench-1 in IA No. 855 of
2025. The application was filed by the appellant praying for various reliefs as
noticed by the Adjudicating Authority. Application by 6 employees as has
been noted in paragraph-1 with the respective claim. The Adjudicating
Authority by the impugned order has considered the issues raised in the
application with regard to first issue Adjudicating Authority observed that
there are only 6 employees they can maintain the application, for themselves
only and as far as they were not informed RP has already sent communication
with respect to the details of the admission of claim of the employees the facts have been noticed in paragraph-4. Adjudicating Authority has further
observed that the Adjudicating Authority will consider the plan as per law
when it comes for adjudication.
3. Ld. Counsel for the respondent submitted that in fact the applicants
have already filed and IA No. 1601/CH/2025 in IA No. 885/2025 which was
disposed of by NCLT on 30.10.2025 observing that issues of Provident Fund,
Gratuity, Salary and Payment of workmen will be considered by the
Adjudicating Authority at the time of approval of the plan. Counsel for the
appellant challenging the order contends that the total claim filed by the
employees were Rs.108,982,589/- whereas RP has admitted only Rs.
60,776,629/-. It is further submitted that with regard to gratuity there are no
observations in the order. He submits that in the books of accounts the clam
reflected were about Rs.9 crores. He submits that Adjudicating Authority had
made error in in rejecting the application.
4. Counsel for the respondent submitted that claim of employees were
admitted and as per admitted amount of the claim no issues were raised by
any employee including the applicant and admission of claim has become
final. It is submitted that in so far as Gratuity, Provident Fund Adjudicating
Authority has already made observation in the order dated 30.10.2025 that
same shall be considered at the time of adjudication of the resolution plan.
5. After having heard counsel for the parties we are of the view that in so
far as submission of the appellant challenging the admission of the amount of
claim of the employees, the said cannot be made an issue at the time of
consideration of plan approval. After the admission of the claim by the
2 of 4 Company Appeal (AT) (Ins) No. 195 of 2026 Resolution Professional no issues were raised or any application was filed by
before the Adjudicating Authority. We have looked into the order dated
30.10.2025 passed by the Adjudicating Authority on the application filed by
the applicant themselves where Adjudicating Authority has made following
observations:-
"ORDER IA(IBC)/1601(CH)2025 The present application has been filed in IA No.885/2025, which is already reserved for orders by this Bench. We have heard Mr. Ashwani Sharma, Ld. Counsel for the Applicant, Mr. Sandeep Bajaj, Ld. Counsel for the RP and Mr. Sugam Seth, Ld. Counsel for the CoC. It is pointed out by Mr. Sugam Seth that the applicants herein in the application are Employees of M/s Winsome Yarns Ltd. However, in IA No.855/2025, authorization of only six employees were filed. It is further pointed out that the application cannot be treated to have been filed on behalf of the association of employees. Then we note that through this application, the applicants are making a prayer as regards to the sums due to employees from Provident Fund, Pension Fund, Gratuity and Salary etc. It is also noted that in IA No.855/2025, these applicants had sought directions as regards to their dues of Provident Fund, Pension Fund, Gratuity and Salary etc. The said application has already been heard and reserved for orders. Now through this application, the directions are being sought to the respondents for certain clarifications. We are not convinced with such an application which is filed in the matter of IA No.855/2025, which has already been heard and reserved for orders. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that the issue of Provident Fund, Gratuity and salary arrears payment to the employees and workmen will have to be considered by the Adjudicating Authority while considering the application for approval of the Resolution Plan. At any stage, if need
3 of 4 Company Appeal (AT) (Ins) No. 195 of 2026 arises, then this Adjudicating Authority can ask for certain information from the applicants, otherwise they have no right to intervene in the matter of the approval of the Resolution Plan. In that case, RP has to explain as to how the compliances required under Section 30(2)(b) are made. The Adjudicating Authority has to look into that aspect only and in the process issues as regards Provident Fund, Pension Fund, Gratuity etc. in terms of the judgments given by the Hon'ble Supreme Court would be looked into. Therefore, we are of the view that the present application is not maintainable at all after having reserved IA No.855/2025. Accordingly, IA No.1601/2025 stands dismissed and disposed of. "
6. It has been further informed that plan approval application has already
been approved on 09.03.2026, Adjudicating Authority has yet to consider the
plan approval application which obviously has to be considered in accordance
with the compliances of provision of Section 30(2) and the Statutory
Regulations. We have no doubt that Adjudicating Authority having already
observed on 30.10.2025 the interest of the appellants are protected by the
said order.
With these observations, we disposed of the appeal.
[Justice Ashok Bhushan] Chairperson
[Barun Mitra] Member (Technical) harleen/MD
4 of 4 Company Appeal (AT) (Ins) No. 195 of 2026
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