M/s Instamojo Technologies Private Limited
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. MUM837/2019
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
The compounding authority holds that a contravention of the reporting obligations under FEMA may be compounded under section 15(1) of the Act, on an application that admits the contravention and on the basis of the applicant's declarations as to the truth of its particulars and the absence of pending enquiry, investigation or adjudication, with the order being expressly subject to those declarations being shown to be true. The authority holds that the amount payable on compounding is fixed by the compounding authority's exercise of discretion, taking into account the relevant facts and circumstances of the case, and that the statutory maximum of up to thrice the sum involved under section 13 is the reference point against which that lenient discretion is exercised. The authority holds that compounding under the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 operates only in respect of the contraventions expressly admitted and compounded, and does not restrict any other authority from proceeding against the company for other violations or contraventions.
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 J.K. Pandey Chief General Manager April 10, 2019 CA No. MUM837/2019 In the matter of M/s Instamojo Technologies Pvt Ltd 30, Evershine, 1 JP Rd, Four Bunglows, Andheri W, Mumbai 400053 (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 December 13, 2018, received at the Reserve Bank on February 18, 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 as amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to as FEMA 20) and 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 refered to as FEMA 20R):
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Instamojo Technologies Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 837/2019
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 III Para 9 (2) of FEMA 20 and Regulation 13.1 (3) of FEMA 20R: Delay in filing ‘Annual Return on Foreign Liabilities and Assets’ (FLA Returns)
2 Brief facts of the applicant company are as follows: Date of Incorporation March 12, 2013 Its main activities are: Data processing, hosting and related activities n.e.c.
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 delay allotment delay remittanc RBI / refund e (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY) 1 16/04/13 102,400.20 03/05/13 0 17/04/13 0 2 13/08/15 32,478,700.80 25/04/16 0Y 7M 12D 03/02/16 0 3 03/03/16 13,434,000.00 29/06/16 0Y 2M 26D 18/05/16 0 4 31/08/17 44,611,000.00 12/03/18 0Y 5M 9D 03/10/17 0 5 27/11/17 88,765,428.85 26/12/17 0 18/12/17 0 TOTAL 179,391,530.00 The applicant reported receipt of remittances to the Reserve Bank of India on dates indicated above with a delay ranging from 0Y 2M 26D to 0Y 7M 12D. Further the applicant company delayed in reporting in 3 out of 5 total 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.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Instamojo Technologies Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 837/2019
4 The company allotted equity shares/compulsorily convertible preference shares/compulsorily convertible debentures and filed FC-GPRs as indicated below:
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, IP stands for Issue Price and FV stands for Face Value Sno/ Date of number of IP (FV+ Amount (FV*no Date of Para 9 (1) LSF allotment shares premium) of shares) reporting (B) delay (in INR) (in INR) (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY)
1 17/04/13 9999 10.00 99,990.00 14/06/13 0Y 0M 27D 2 03/02/16 4850 6696.64 32,478,699.15 13/02/17 0Y 11M 10D 3 18/05/16 2006 6696.63 13,433,439.78 19/01/17 0Y 7M 1D 4 03/10/17 5940 7510.00 44,609,400.00 22/02/17 0 5 18/12/17 11819 7510.40 88,765,417.60 17/01/18 0 TOTAL 179,386,947.00 The applicant filed form FC-GPRs as indicated above with a delay ranging from 0Y 0M 27D to 0Y 11M 10D. 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 company has not filed/delayed in filing the Annual Return on Foreign Liabilities and Assets (FLA return) to the Reserve Bank of India for the Financial Years 2014-15 and 2017-18. Whereas, in terms of Paragraph 9(2) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20 and Regulation 13.1 (3) of Notification No. FEMA 20(R), all Indian companies which have received Foreign Direct Investment in the previous years including the current year, shall submit to the Reserve Bank of India, on or before the due date (as applicable) each year, a report titled ‘Annual Return on Foreign Liabilities and Assets’ as specified by the Reserve Bank from time to time.
6 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 04, 2019. The applicant appeared for personal hearing on April 08, 2019, during which Mr Prashant Jain, Head of Finance of the company and Mr Ashwin Bhatt, Consultant represented the applicant in the cabin of Shri J.K. Pandey, Chief General Manager, Mumbai Regional Office. The representatives 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 representatives 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.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Instamojo Technologies Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 837/2019
7 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.90,523,701 (Rupees Nine Crore Five Lakh Twenty Three Thousand Seven Hundred One and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 0Y 2M 26D to maximum 0Y 7M 12D 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.46,012,129 (Rupees Four Crore Sixty Lakh Twelve Thousand One Hundred Twenty Nine and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 0Y 0M 27D to maximum 0Y 11M 10D approximately.
III Para 9 (2) of FEMA 20 and Regulation 13.1 (3) of FEMA 20R, due to non-filing/delay in filing of Annual Return on Foreign Liabilities and Assets for the Financial Years 2014-15 and 2017-18.
8 It has been declared in the compounding application dated December 13, 2018 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. 9 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.194,250 (Rupees One Lakh Ninety Four Thousand Two Hundred Fifty and Zero Paise Only) will meet the ends of justice.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Instamojo Technologies Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 837/2019
10 Accordingly, I compound the admitted contravention/s namely, the contravention/s of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20, Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20 and Para 9 (2) of FEMA 20 and Regulation 13.1 (3) 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. 194,250 (Rupees One Lakh Ninety Four Thousand Two Hundred Fifty 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.
11 The above order is passed only in respect of contraventions of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20, Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20 and Para 9 (2) of FEMA 20 and Regulation 13.1 (3) 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.
12 The application is disposed of accordingly. dated: April 10, 2019 Compounding Authority (J.K. Pandey) Chief General Manager
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