Food Cloud Pvt. Ltd.
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. NDL 369/2019
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
The contravention of paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB is established where an Indian company fails to submit the Advance Reporting Form through its authorised dealer bank to the concerned Regional Office within 30 days of receiving the consideration for issue of shares or convertible debentures, and the admitted delay of 27 days beyond that period is such a contravention. A compounding application may be allowed on the applicant's admission of the contravention and declarations of accuracy, with the amount payable fixed under the Guidance Note on Computation Matrix in the Master Direction on Compounding of Contraventions, framed under the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000, and in the absence of any malafide or wilful intention shown by the applicant, the compounding is granted without prejudice to any other action if the declarations are later found false or incorrect.
Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.
Judgment
As delivered
In the RESERVE BANK OF INDIA Foreign Exchange Department 6, Sansad Marg New Delhi-110001 Present Devika Gowrishankar Deputy General Manager Date: May 15, 2019 CA No. NDL 369/2019 In the matter of Food Cloud Private Limited A-30/ Block B-1, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Estate, New Delhi-110044 (Applicant) In exercise of the powers under Section 15(1) of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and the Regulations/ Rules/ Notifications/ Orders made thereunder, I pass the following Order. ORDER The applicant has filed the compounding application dated December 28, 2018 (received at Reserve Bank of India, New Delhi on January 4, 2019) for compounding of contraventions of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (hereinafter referred to as FEMA) and the regulations issued thereunder. The contraventions sought to be compounded are those of delay in reporting foreign inward remittance received for issue of shares in terms of paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident Outside India) Regulations, 2000 notified vide Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 (hereinafter referred to as FEMA 20/2000- RB), as amended from time to time. 2. The relevant facts of the case are as follows: (a) The applicant company, incorporated on December 22, 2014, is engaged in the business of event catering. (b) The applicant had reported the remittances received from its foreign investor,
Food Cloud Private Limited CA No. NDL 369/2019
M/s SOSV III LP, U.S.A, on two occasions for the purpose of investment in Equity Shares/ Compulsory Convertible Debentures (CCDs) with delay of 27 days each beyond the prescribed period, as detailed below, in contravention of paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, as then applicable. Sl. No. Date of receipt Amount (₹) Date of Reporting 1 30.10.2017 34,181.34 26.12.2017 2 30.10.2017 31,61,517.91 26.12.2017 Total 31,95,699.25
Whereas, in terms of paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, an Indian company issuing shares or convertible debentures or warrants in accordance with these Regulations shall submit through AD bank to the Regional Office concerned of the Reserve Bank under whose jurisdiction the Registered office of the company operates, not later than 30 days from the date of receipt of the amount of consideration received by Indian company for issue of shares or convertible debentures or warrants, a report in Advance Reporting Form as specified by Reserve Bank from time to time along with documents prescribed therein. (c) Thus, there are contraventions of paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, as then applicable.
3. The applicant was given an opportunity for personal hearing for further submission in person and/ or by producing documents, if any, in support of the application. Shri Ravi Kumar Rajgaria, Financial Consultant, appeared for personal hearing on May 15, 2019 on behalf of the applicant. The representative of the applicant admitted the contraventions committed by the applicant for which compounding has been sought. During the personal hearing, he submitted that contraventions were without any malafide or wilful intention but were mainly due to attending to the queries raised by AD bank. He requested for a lenient view in the matter. The application for compounding is, therefore, being considered on the basis of averments made in the application as well as other documents and submissions made during the personal hearing.
4. I have given my careful consideration to the documents on record and submissions made by the applicant during the personal hearing. Accordingly, I hold that the applicant has contravened the provisions of paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1
Food Cloud Private Limited CA No. NDL 369/2019 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, on account of delay in reporting foreign inward remittances received towards subscription of shares/ CCDs as detailed in paragraph 2(b) above. The contraventions relate to an amount of ₹31,95,699.25 (Rupees Thirty One Lakh Ninety Five Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Nine and Paise Twenty Five only) and the periods of delay are 27 days each.
5. It has been declared in the compounding application dated December 28, 2018, that the particulars given by the applicant in the application are true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief. It has also been declared in the declaration furnished with the compounding application that the applicant was not under any enquiry/ investigation/ adjudication by any agency as on the date of the application and has, in this regard, not informed of initiation of any such enquiry/ investigation/ adjudication proceedings against it, thereafter. It has further been declared that the applicant has not filed any appeal under Section 17 or Section 19 of FEMA. Accordingly, the above contraventions which are being compounded in this Order are subject to the veracity of the above declarations made by the applicant and this Order is without prejudice to any other action which may be taken by any authority under the extant laws if the said declarations are subsequently discovered to be false and/ or incorrect.
6. In terms of Section 13 of FEMA, any person contravening any provision of the Act shall be liable to a penalty up to thrice the sum involved in such contravention upon adjudication. After considering the submissions made by the applicant and the entire facts and circumstances of the case I am persuaded to compound the contraventions, in line with the Guidance Note on Computation Matrix prescribed as part of Master Direction – Compounding of Contraventions, framed in accordance with the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules 2000. Accordingly, it stands to reason that payment of an amount of ₹10,280/- (Rupees Ten Thousand Two Hundred and Eighty only) will meet the ends of justice in the circumstances of this case.
7. Accordingly, I compound the admitted contraventions of paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, as then applicable, by the applicant based on the facts detailed above in terms of the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000, on payment of an amount of ₹10,280/- (Rupees Ten Thousand Two
Food Cloud Private Limited CA No. NDL 369/2019
Hundred and Eighty only) which shall be deposited by the applicant with the Reserve Bank of India, Foreign Exchange Department, 6, Sansad Marg, New Delhi- 110001 by a demand draft drawn in favour of the “Reserve Bank of India” and payable at New Delhi within a period of 15 days from the date of this Order. In case of failure to deposit the compounded amount within the above mentioned period, Rule 10 of the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 dated May 3, 2000 shall apply.
The application is disposed accordingly.
Dated this the 15th day of May 2019.
Sd/- (Devika Gowrishankar) Deputy General Manager
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