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Interim Order against the past Director of Ravi Kiran Realty India Limited, viz. Shri Animesh Chowdhury

Securities And Exchange Board Of India20 November 2015

Interim / procedural order — not a final adjudication. Do not cite as a holding.

Ratio decidendi

The rule this decision rests on

A director who held office during an unlawful offer of securities, and who was engaged in mobilising funds from the public in that capacity, is answerable under Sections 56, 60 and 73 of the Companies Act, 1956, which fix liability on every director or officer responsible for the issue, and may be proceeded against under Section 27(2) of the SEBI Act, 1992 for the violation, notwithstanding that his directorship has since ceased. Where the Board is prima facie satisfied that such a person has violated those provisions, it may, under Sections 11, 11(4), 11A and 11B of the SEBI Act, 1992, impose interim prohibitions restraining him from soliciting money from the public through any offer document, and from accessing or dealing in the securities market, pending his reply and a show-cause process on the appropriate final directions.

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

Judgment

As delivered

WTM/SR/SEBI – ERO/IMD/174/11/2015 BEFORE THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA, MUMBAI CORAM: S. RAMAN, WHOLE TIME MEMBER ORDER Under Sections 11, 11(4), 11A and 11B of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, against the past Director of Ravi Kiran Realty India Limited, viz. Shri Animesh Chowdhury (PAN: ACPPC9026K; DIN: 03119948).

1. Securities and Exchange Board of India ("SEBI") vide an Order bearing no. WTM/SR/ERO/48/08/2014 dated August 8, 2014 ("Interim Order"), passed certain directions as mentioned at paragraph 7 thereof, against Ravi Kiran Realty India Limited ("RKRIL") and its Directors, viz. Mr. Gopal Roy Banik, Mr. Kaushik Chatterjee, Mr. Biswajit Chowdhury, Ms. Manisha Chatterjee and Mr. Swapan Kumar Paul, for violating the provisions of Section 56, Section 60 read with Section 2(36), Section 73 of the Companies Act, 1956 by engaging in fund mobilising activity from the public, through the issue of redeemable preference shares ("Offer of RPS").

2. As mentioned in the Interim Order, under the Offer of RPS, RKRIL allotted RPS to 1176 investors during the Financial Year 2012–13, thereby mobilizing funds amounting to approximately ₹131 Lakhs, which prima facie qualified as a public issue under the first proviso to Section 67(3) of the Companies Act, 1956.

3.1 It has now come to SEBI's notice that the following person was earlier a Director of RKRIL during the Offer of RPS –

Sr. Name PAN DIN Date of Date of No. Appointment Cessation 1. Animesh Chowdhury ACPPC9026K 03119948 July 30, 2010 May 17, 2013 3.2 In this context, it is noted that – i. Section 56(1) and 56(3) read with Section 56(4) of the Companies Act, 1956, imposes liability for compliance of the aforesaid provisions, on the company, every Director and other persons responsible for the issuance of the prospectus.

ii. Section 60 of the Companies Act, 1956, imposes liability for compliance of the aforesaid provision, on the company and every person who is a party to the issue of the Prospectus.

iii. Section 73(2) of Companies Act, 1956, imposes liability for compliance of Section 73, on the company and every Director of the company who is an Officer in default. iv. Section 27(2) of the SEBI Act, 1992 (“SEBI Act”) provides SEBI with inter alia the power to proceed against Director(s) of companies who have illegally mobilized funds from the public through the issue of securities.

3.3 Upon a consideration of the aforementioned paragraphs, I am of the view that Shri Animesh Chowdhury was also engaged in fund mobilising activity from the public, in his capacity as a Director of RKRIL, through the Offer of RPS and as a result of the aforesaid activity, has violated the aforementioned provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 and the SEBI Act.

4. In view of the alleged violations by the abovementioned past Director, I, in exercise of the powers conferred upon me under Sections 11, 11(4), 11A and 11B of the SEBI Act, hereby issue the following directions – i. The past Director of RKRIL, viz. Shri Animesh Chowdhury (PAN: ACPPC9026K; DIN: 03119948), is prohibited from issuing prospectus or any offer document or issue advertisement for soliciting money from the public for the issue of securities, in any manner whatsoever, either directly or indirectly, till further orders; ii. The abovementioned past Director of RKRIL is restrained from accessing the securities market and further prohibited from buying, selling or otherwise dealing in the securities market, either directly or indirectly, till further directions; iii. The abovementioned past Director of RKRIL shall provide a full inventory of all his assets and properties.

5.1 The abovementioned past Director of RKRIL is advised to show cause as to why suitable directions/prohibitions under Sections 11(1), 11(4), 11A and 11B of the SEBI Act, Section 73(2) of the Companies Act read with Section 27(2) of the SEBI Act including the following, should not be taken/imposed against him:

i. Directing him jointly and severally to refund money collected through the Offer of RPS alongwith interest, if any, promised to investors therein;

ii. Directing him not to issue prospectus or any offer document or issue advertisement for soliciting money from the public for the issue of securities, in any manner whatsoever, either directly or indirectly, for an appropriate period; iii. Directing him to refrain from accessing the securities market and prohibiting him from buying, selling or otherwise dealing in securities for an appropriate period.

5.2 The abovementioned past Director of RKRIL, may, within 21 days from the date of receipt of this Order, file his reply, if any, to this Order and may also indicate whether he desires to avail himself an opportunity of personal hearing on a date and time to be fixed on a specific request made in that regard.

6. This Order is without prejudice to the right of SEBI to take any other action that may be initiated against the abovementioned past Director of RKRIL in accordance with law.

7. This Order shall be read with the Interim Order, copy of which is enclosed with this Order. 8. A copy of this Order shall be served on all recognized stock exchanges and depositories for necessary action.

Place: Mumbai S. RAMAN Date: November 20, 2015 WHOLE TIME MEMBER SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA

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