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Get Simpl Technologies Private Limited

Reserve Bank Of India20 December 2019

Ratio decidendi

The rule this decision rests on

This order is a compounding order under section 15(1) of FEMA, and the reasoning it contains is limited to the following. The contraventions of Para 9(1)(A) and Para 9(1)(B) of FEMA 20, namely delay in reporting receipt of foreign inward remittances for subscription to equity and delay in filing Form FC-GPR after issue of shares to a non-resident, are established on the applicant's own admission and the documentary record, and are compoundable under the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000. Where the contravention is admitted and the compounding application contains the declarations required (including that the applicant is not under enquiry, investigation or adjudication and has not appealed under section 17 or 19), the Compounding Authority may compound the contravention in exercise of its discretion, taking a lenient view of the penalty having regard to the relevant facts and circumstances, including the applicant's assertion that the delay was inadvertent and unintentional, and fixing the compounding amount accordingly. The compounding is expressly confined to the contraventions of Para 9(1)(A) and Para 9(1)(B) of FEMA 20, and does not preclude any other authority from proceeding against the company for other contraventions, and the grant of compounding remains subject to the veracity of the applicant's declarations.

Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.

Judgment

As delivered

Reserve Bank of India Foreign Exchange Department Mumbai Regional Office Main Building, 3rd floor Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Fort Mumbai 400 001 CA No. MUM 948/2019 In the matter of M/s Get Simpl Technologies Private Limited 1st & 2nd Floor, Kagalwala House, Plot No. 175, BHD Metro House, CST Road, Kalina, BKC Santacruz (East), Mumbai 400 098 (Applicant) In exercise of the powers conferred under section 15(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and the Regulations/Rules/Notifications/Orders made thereunder, I pass the following Order 1 The applicant has filed the compounding application dated August 01, 2019, received at the Reserve Bank on August 21, 2019, for compounding of contravention/s of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (the FEMA) and the regulations issued thereunder. The contravention/s sought to be compounded are in respect of the following (Regulations/ paras under 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 and as amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to as FEMA 20): (i) Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20: Delay in reporting receipt of foreign inward remittance towards subscription to equity (ii) Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20: Delay in filing Form FC GPR to Reserve Bank after issue of shares to person resident outside India 2 Brief details of the applicant company are as follows: Date of Incorporation February 02, 2015 Its main activities are: Other information technology and computer service activities.

FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Get Simpl Technologies Private Limited, CA No: MUM 948/2019

3 The applicant received foreign inward remittances from non-resident investors towards equity shares / compulsorily convertible preference shares/ compulsorily convertible debentures and it reported the same to the Reserve Bank on dates as indicated below. Delay in reporting Foreign Direct Investment &/or delay in allotting the shares/ refunding the amount (whereas, "Y" represents delay in number of years, "M" represents delay in number of months and "D" represents delay in number of days, and LSF stands for : Late Submission Fees Sr. Date of Amount received Date of Delay in Date of Delay in No/ inward (in INR) reporting to reporting allotment allotment LSF remittanc RBI Foreign / refund or refund e Investment (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY) 1 06-05-15 22,08,200.48 30-06-16 1Y 0M 24D 03-06-15 0Y 0M 0D 2 06-05-15 6,34,400.00 02-05-16 0Y 10M 26D 03-06-15 0Y 0M 0D 3 06-05-15 378,87,100.00 27-07-15 0Y 1M 20D 03-06-15 0Y 0M 0D 4 06-05-15 247,23,300.00 04-06-15 0 03-06-15 0Y 0M 0D 5 06-05-15 5,36,800.00 04-06-15 0 03-06-15 0Y 0M 0D 6 07-05-15 15,79,900.00 16-03-17 1Y 9M 6D 03-06-15 0Y 0M 0D 7 08-05-15 63,13,500.00 20-10-16 1Y 4M 11D 03-06-15 0Y 0M 0D 8 02-11-16 325,60,177.85 19-12-16 0Y 0M 16D 30-11-16 0Y 0M 0D 9 02-11-16 332,63,004.10 25-11-16 0 30-11-16 0Y 0M 0D 10 02-11-16 7,03,824.86 01-12-16 0 30-11-16 0Y 0M 0D 11 02-11-16 66,52,334.70 29-11-16 0 30-11-16 0Y 0M 0D 12 02-11-16 66,51,004.10 29-11-16 0 30-11-16 0Y 0M 0D 13 09-11-16 16,65,999.80 19-12-16 0Y 0M 9D 30-11-16 0Y 0M 0D 14 15-11-16 13,92,841.60 06-01-17 0Y 0M 21D 30-11-16 0Y 0M 0D 15 15-11-16 16,89,000.00 25-11-16 0 30-11-16 0Y 0M 0D 16 18-07-17 159,95,580.30 31-10-17 0Y 2M 12D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 17 18-07-17 1151,80,080.30 08-08-17 0 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 18 18-07-17 375,74,434.00 01-09-17 0Y 0M 14D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 19 18-07-17 8,19,566.00 01-09-17 0Y 0M 14D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 20 18-07-17 15,98,790.15 27-09-17 0Y 1M 9D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 21 18-07-17 15,99,750.00 08-08-17 0 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 22 18-07-17 15,98,790.15 31-10-17 0Y 2M 12D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 23 19-07-17 95,96,580.30 30-10-17 0Y 2M 10D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 24 19-07-17 63,97,080.30 14-11-17 0Y 2M 25D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 25 19-07-17 127,98,000.00 30-08-17 0Y 0M 11D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 26 19-07-17 15,98,086.26 01-09-17 0Y 0M 13D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 27 19-07-17 15,99,750.00 31-08-17 0Y 0M 12D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 28 20-07-17 31,99,040.00 12-09-17 0Y 0M 23D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 29 20-07-17 127,98,080.00 31-08-17 0Y 0M 11D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 30 20-07-17 319,98,080.00 30-08-17 0Y 0M 10D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 31 25-07-17 41,58,729.00 06-09-17 0Y 0M 12D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 32 25-07-17 96,01,500.00 03-10-17 0Y 1M 8D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 33 26-07-17 319,95,000.00 28-08-17 0Y 0M 2D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 34 04-08-17 63,59,000.00 06-09-17 0Y 0M 2D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 35 01-09-17 15,81,000.00 08-01-18 0Y 3M 7D 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D

FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Get Simpl Technologies Private Limited, CA No: MUM 948/2019

36 12-09-17 15,97,790.75 18-09-17 0 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D 37 13-09-17 15,97,665.83 18-09-17 0 14-09-17 0Y 0M 0D TOTAL 4697,03,761.00 In terms of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20, an Indian company issuing equity shares/ compulsorily convertible debentures/compulsorily convertible preference shares in accordance with these Regulations should report to the Reserve Bank of India as per the prescribed procedure not later than 30 days from the date of receipt of the amount of consideration. However the applicant company reported receipt of remittances to the Reserve Bank of India on dates indicated above in 26 out of 37 total remittances with a delay ranging from 0Y 0M 2D to 1Y 9M 6D.

4 The company allotted equity shares/compulsorily convertible preference shares/compulsorily convertible debentures and filed FC-GPRs as indicated below:

Delay in filing Form FCGPR (whereas, "Y" represents delay in number of years, "M" represents delay in number of months and "D" represents delay in number of days, LSF stands for : Late Submission Fees, IP stands for Issue Price and FV stands for Face Value Sr. Date of Number of IP (FV+ Amount (IP*no Date of Delay in no/ allotment shares premium) of shares) reporting filing LSF (in INR) (in INR) FCGPR (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY)

1 03-06-15 6211 6100.00 378,87,100.00 05-12-16 1Y 5M 1D 2 03-06-15 104 6100.00 6,34,400.00 05-12-16 1Y 5M 1D 3 03-06-15 362 6100.00 22,08,200.00 05-12-16 1Y 5M 1D 4 03-06-15 4053 6100.00 247,23,300.00 05-12-16 1Y 5M 1D 5 03-06-15 88 6100.00 5,36,800.00 05-12-16 1Y 5M 1D 6 03-06-15 1035 6100.00 63,13,500.00 05-12-16 1Y 5M 1D 7 03-06-15 259 6100.00 15,79,900.00 05-12-16 1Y 5M 1D 8 30-11-16 4943 6570.00 324,75,510.00 15-02-17 0Y 1M 16D 9 30-11-16 107 6570.00 7,02,990.00 15-02-17 0Y 1M 16D 10 30-11-16 212 6570.00 13,92,840.00 15-02-17 0Y 1M 16D 11 30-11-16 252 6570.00 16,55,640.00 15-02-17 0Y 1M 16D 12 30-11-16 1010 6570.00 66,35,700.00 04-01-17 0Y 0M 4D 13 30-11-16 252 6570.00 16,55,640.00 04-01-17 0Y 0M 4D 14 30-11-16 5050 6570.00 331,78,500.00 04-01-17 0Y 0M 4D 15 30-11-16 1010 6570.00 66,35,700.00 15-02-17 0Y 1M 16D 16 14-09-17 1881 8500.00 159,88,500.00 24-01-18 0Y 3M 10D 17 14-09-17 1129 8500.00 95,96,500.00 24-01-18 0Y 3M 10D 18 14-09-17 188 8500.00 15,98,000.00 24-01-18 0Y 3M 10D 19 14-09-17 187 8500.00 15,89,500.00 24-01-18 0Y 3M 10D 20 14-09-17 752 8500.00 63,92,000.00 09-01-18 0Y 2M 25D 21 14-09-17 748 8500.00 63,58,000.00 31-10-17 0Y 0M 16D 22 14-09-17 1129 8500.00 95,96,500.00 09-01-18 0Y 2M 25D 23 14-09-17 188 8500.00 15,98,000.00 09-01-18 0Y 2M 25D 24 14-09-17 4420 8500.00 375,70,000.00 09-01-18 0Y 2M 25D 25 14-09-17 96 8500.00 8,16,000.00 09-01-18 0Y 2M 25D

FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Get Simpl Technologies Private Limited, CA No: MUM 948/2019

26 14-09-17 376 8500.00 31,96,000.00 09-01-18 0Y 2M 25D 27 14-09-17 188 8500.00 15,98,000.00 09-01-18 0Y 2M 25D 28 14-09-17 489 8500.00 41,56,500.00 31-10-17 0Y 0M 16D 29 14-09-17 13550 8500.00 1151,75,000.00 31-10-17 0Y 0M 16D 30 14-09-17 1505 8500.00 127,92,500.00 31-10-17 0Y 0M 16D 31 14-09-17 3764 8500.00 319,94,000.00 31-10-17 0Y 0M 16D 32 14-09-17 3764 8500.00 319,94,000.00 18-10-17 0Y 0M 3D 33 14-09-17 188 8500.00 15,98,000.00 18-10-17 0Y 0M 3D 34 14-09-17 1505 8500.00 127,92,500.00 18-10-17 0Y 0M 3D 35 14-09-17 188 8500.00 15,98,000.00 18-10-17 0Y 0M 3D 36 14-09-17 187 8500.00 15,89,500.00 18-10-17 0Y 0M 3D 37 14-09-17 186 8500.00 15,81,000.00 19-02-18 0Y 4M 5D TOTAL 4693,83,720.00 The applicant filed form FC-GPRs as indicated above with a delay ranging from 0Y 0M 3D to 1Y 5M 1D. Whereas, in terms of Para 9(1) (B) of FEMA 20, an Indian company issuing shares in accordance with these Regulations has to submit to RBI a report in Form FC-GPR along with documents prescribed therein within 30 days from the date of issue of shares to Non Resident. 5 The applicant was given an opportunity for personal hearing, for further submission in person and/or for producing documents, if any, in support of the application vide e-mail dated December 12, 2019. The applicant appeared for personal hearing on December 17, 2019, during which Ms Krithika R. Ahuja, Finance Manager of the Company, Mr Sankar Swamy, Consultant and Ms Priyanka, Consultant represented the applicant in the office of the Compounding Authority.

The representatives of the applicant admitted the contraventions for which compounding has been sought. During the hearing by the Compounding Authority the representative of the applicant submitted that the delay was inadvertant and unintentional. They requested that in view of the foregoing a lenient view may be taken in disposal of the application. The application for compounding is, therefore, being considered on the basis of the averments made in the application as well as other documents and submissions made in this context by the applicant during personal hearing and thereafter. 6 I have given my careful consideration to the documents on record and submissions made by the applicant during the personal hearing and thereafter. Accordingly, I hold that the applicant has contravened the following FEMA provisions issued in terms of: (i) Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20, due to the delay in reporting of receipt of foreign inward remittance towards subscription towards shares as detailed above. The contravention relates to total amount of Rs.2755,09,206/- (Rupees Twenty Seven Crore Fifty Five Lakh Nine Thousand Two Hundred Six and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 0Y 0M 2D to maximum 1Y 9M 6D approximately.

(ii) Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20, due to the delay in submission of Form FC-GPR to the Reserve Bank after issue of shares to persons resident outside India and the contravention relates to total amount of Rs.4693,83,720/- (Rupees Forty Six Crore Ninety Three Lakh Eighty Three Thousand Seven Hundred Twenty and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 0Y 0M 3D to maximum 1Y 5M 1D approximately.

FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Get Simpl Technologies Private Limited, CA No: MUM 948/2019

7 It has been declared in the compounding application dated August 01, 2019 that the particulars given by the applicant in the application are true and correct to the best of their/his/her knowledge and belief. It has also been declared in a declaration attached to 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/him/her thereafter. It has further been declared that the applicant has not filed any appeal under section 17 or section 19 of FEMA, 1999. 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. 8 In terms of Section 13 of the 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.

However, taking into account the relevant facts and circumstances of the case as stated in the foregoing paragraphs, I am persuaded to take a lenient view on the amount for which the contraventions are to be compounded and I consider that an amount of Rs.3,45,875/- (Rupees Three Lakh Forty Five Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Five and Zero Paise Only) will meet the ends of justice. 9 Accordingly, I compound the admitted contravention/s namely, the contravention/s of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20 and Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20, by the applicant, on the facts discussed above in terms of the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 on payment of an amount of Rs. 3,45,875/- (Rupees Three Lakh Forty Five Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Five and Zero Paise Only) which shall be deposited by the applicant with the Reserve Bank of India, Foreign Exchange Department, Mumbai Regional Office, Main Building, 3rd floor, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Fort, Mumbai-400001 by a demand draft drawn in favour of the "Reserve Bank of India" and payable at Mumbai 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. 10 The above order is passed only in respect of contraventions of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20 and Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20 and does not restrict the rights of any other authority to proceed against the Company for any other violations/contraventions noticed at any point of time.

11 The application is disposed of accordingly.

(Aviral Jain) Chief General Manager and Compounding Authority Dated: December 20, 2019

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