Infivention Technologies Private Limited
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. MUM 962/2019
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
The compounding authority holds that a contravention of Para 2 of FEMA 20R is made out where an Indian company allots shares before receiving the inward remittance, and where shares are neither issued nor the amount refunded within the prescribed 60/75-day period from receipt of the inward remittance; the sequence required by Para 2 is receipt of the remittance first, followed by allotment, and the time limit runs from receipt. The compounding authority holds that a contravention admitted by the applicant may be compounded under the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000, by payment of an amount fixed by the authority in the exercise of its discretion under section 13 of FEMA, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, including the admission, the claimed inadvertence of the delay, and the small sum involved, and that such compounding is without prejudice to any other action under extant law should the applicant's declarations prove false.
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 Mumbai Regional Office Main Building, 3rd floor Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Fort Mumbai 400 001 CA No. MUM 962/2019 In the matter of M/s Infivention Technologies Private Limited 007/008, Nami Apt., Sarvodaya Nagar, Nahur Road, Mulund West, Mumbai 400 080 (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 July 19, 2019, received at the Reserve Bank on September 17, 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 2017, notified vide Notification No FEMA 20R/2017 RB dated November 07, 2017, as amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to as FEMA 20R):
(i) Para 2 of FEMA 20R: Neither the equity instruments were issued, nor the money refunded to the foreign investor within 60 days/ 75 days (as applicable) from the receipt of the inward remittance 2 Brief details of the applicant company are as follows: Date of Incorporation September 04, 2015 Its main activities are: The company is in the business of designers, assemblers, repairers, publishers, licensors, hirers and developers in software services etc.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Infivention Technologies Private Limited, CA No: MUM 962/2019
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 10-09-2018 3 56,03,000.00 NA 0 01-11-2018 0Y 0M 0D 2 01-01-2019 1 ,30,368.00 NA 0 01-11-2018 0Y 2M 0D TOTAL 3 57,33,368.00 4 In respect of remittance amounting to Rs. 1,30,368/- (Rupees One Lakh Thirty Thousand Three Hundred Sixty Eight and Zero Paise Only), the applicant company allotted shares prior to receipt of inward remittance. Whereas, the sequence of events envisaged under Para 2 of FEMA 20R is that the Indian company has to first receive the inward remittance and then proceed with allotment of shares. Also, in terms of Para 2 of FEMA 20R, an Indian company is required to issue shares or refund the amount within 60 days/75 days (as applicable) from the date of receipt of inward remittance. The delay under this para is 0Y 2M 0D.
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 05, 2019. The applicant appeared for personal hearing on December 10, 2019, during which Mr Atur Mehta, Director of the Company represented the applicant in the cabin of Shri Sandeep Kulkarni, Assistant General Manager, Mumbai Regional Office. The representative of the applicant admitted the contravention for which compounding has been sought. During the hearing it was submitted that delay was inadvertent and unintentional. The representative of the applicant 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:
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Infivention Technologies Private Limited, CA No: MUM 962/2019 (i) Para 2 of FEMA 20R, since the shares were neither issued nor the amount was refunded to the person resident outside India within the prescribed time from the date of receipt of the inward remittance. The contravention relates to total amount of Rs.1,30,368/- (Rupees One Lakh Thirty Thousand Three Hundred Sixty Eight and Zero Paise Only) with a delay of 0Y 2M 0D approximately. 7 It has been declared in the compounding application dated July 19, 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.50,652/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand Six Hundred Fifty Two and Zero Paise Only) will meet the ends of justice.
9 Accordingly, I compound the admitted contravention/s namely, the contravention/s of Para 2 of FEMA 20R, 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. 50,652/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand Six Hundred Fifty Two 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 2 of FEMA 20R and does not restrict the right of any other authority to proceed against the Company for any other violations/contraventions noticed at any point of time.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Infivention Technologies Private Limited, CA No: MUM 962/2019
11 The application is disposed of accordingly. Dated: December 11, 2019 Compounding Authority (Sandeep Kulkarni) Assistant General Manager
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