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M/s Ambitech Engineering India Private Limited

Reserve Bank Of India12 April 2019

Ratio decidendi

The rule this decision rests on

The compounding authority holds that a contravention of a reporting obligation under FEMA is compoundable under section 15(1) of the Act and the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000, where the applicant admits the contravention, the declarations in the compounding application are true and correct, and no enquiry, investigation, adjudication or appeal under sections 17 or 19 is pending against the applicant. The authority holds that the delay in reporting receipt of foreign inward remittance under Para 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20, and the delay in filing Form FC-GPR under Para 9(1)(B), are each contraventions that may be compounded on payment of a sum fixed by the authority, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, notwithstanding the statutory maximum penalty of up to thrice the sum involved under section 13 of the Act.

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 Present Shri Sunil Vinayak Potphode Assistant General Manager April 12, 2019 CA No. MUM829/2019 In the matter of M/s Ambitech Engineering India Pvt Ltd SA-19, 2nd Floor, Lake City Mall, Kapur Bawdi Junction, Thane West 400 607 (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 January 23, 2019, received at the Reserve Bank on January 25, 2019, for compounding of contravention/s of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (the FEMA) and the regulations issued thereunder. The contraventions 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):

FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Ambitech Engineering India Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 829/2019 a) Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20: Delay in reporting receipt of foreign inward remittance towards subscription to equity b) 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 August 18, 2014 Its main activities are: Architectural and engineering activities and related technical consultancy

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 under 9(1)(A) &/or Para 8 (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

S No/ Date of Amount received Date of Para 9 (1) A Date of Para 8 LSF inward (in INR) reporting to RBI delay allotment delay remittance (DD-MM-YY) / refund (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY)

1 17/11/14 10.00 4/17/2018 3Y 4M 0D 05/01/15 0 2 17/11/14 99,990.00 3/30/2018 3Y 3M 10D 05/01/15 0 TOTAL 100,000.00 The applicant reported receipt of remittances to the Reserve Bank of India on dates indicated above with a delay ranging from 3Y 3M 10D to 3Y 4M 0D. Further, the applicant company delayed in reporting in case of all the remittances beyond the stipulated time of 30 days. Whereas, in terms of Paragraph 9 (1) (A) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20, an Indian company issuing shares or convertible debentures 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.

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

FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Ambitech Engineering India Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 829/2019

Contravention under Para 9(1)(B) (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 and FV stands for Face Value Sno/ Date of Number of FV+ premium Amount Date of Para 9 (1) LSF allotment shares (in INR) (FV*no of reporting (B) delay (DD-MM-YY) shares) (DD-MM-YY) (in INR)

1 05/01/15 1 10 10.00 20/12/17 2Y 10M 14D 2 05/01/15 9999 10 99,990.00 20/12/17 2Y 10M 14D TOTAL 100,000.00 The applicant filed form FC-GPRs as indicated above with a delay of 2Y 10M 14D. Whereas, in terms of Paragraph 9(1) (B) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. 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 April 03, 2019. The applicant appeared for personal hearing on April 08, 2019, during which Mr Gautam Bhandari, Consultant represented the applicant in the cabin of Shri Sunil Vinayak Potphode, Assistant General Manager, Mumbai Regional Office. The representative of the applicant admitted the contraventions 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:

a) 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.100,000 (Rupees One Lakh and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 3Y 3M 10D to maximum 3Y 4M 0D approximately.

FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Ambitech Engineering India Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 829/2019 b) 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.100,000 (Rupees One Lakh and Zero Paise Only) with a delay of 2Y 10M 14D approximately.

7 It has been declared in the compounding application dated January 23, 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.32,500 (Rupees Thirty Two Thousand Five Hundred 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. 32,500 (Rupees Thirty Two Thousand Five Hundred 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 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 Ambitech Engineering India Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 829/2019

11 The application is disposed of accordingly. dated: April 12, 2019 Compounding Authority (Sunil Vinayak Potphode) Assistant General Manager

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