M/s Purita Water Solution Pvt Ltd
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. MUM 801/2018
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
A compounding authority under section 15(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 may compound a contravention only where the applicant admits the contravention and seeks compounding of it; the authority's power is exercised on the basis of the applicant's admissions and averments in the compounding application together with the documents on record. Where an Indian company issuing shares to a person resident outside India has received the consideration late, a delay beyond thirty days from receipt of the amount of consideration in reporting that receipt to the Reserve Bank constitutes a contravention of paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB. Where an Indian company issuing shares to a person resident outside India has failed to submit the report in Form FC-GPR within thirty days of the issue of shares, the delay constitutes a contravention of paragraph 9(1)(B) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB. The compounding of a contravention is conditional on the veracity of the applicant's declarations that the particulars given are true and correct, that no enquiry, investigation or adjudication was pending against it, and that no appeal under section 17 or section 19 has been filed; if those declarations prove false, the order is without prejudice to other action under the law. The amount payable on compounding is fixed by the authority's assessment of the circumstances of the case, taking into account that the statutory penalty under section 13 may extend to thrice the sum involved, and an order compounding the admitted contraventions is confined to those contraventions and does not bar proceedings by any other authority for other violations.
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 January 24, 2019 CA No.MUM 801/2018 In the matter of M/s Purita Water Solution Private Limited Plot No. 3, Survey No. 94, Hissa No. 17/2, Near MSEB Office vill, Waliv, Vasai East, Dist- Palghar- 401208 (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 October 08, 2018 received at the Reserve Bank on October 11,2018 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 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 Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB); and/or Regulations under Notification No FEMA 20 (R)/2017- RB dated November 07, 2017 (as amended from time to time), hereinafter refered to as the Notification No FEMA 20 (R)- RB.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Purita Water Solution Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 801/2018 i) Para 9 (1) (A): delay in reporting receipt of foreign inward remittance towards subscription to equity ii) Para 9 (1) (B): delay in filing Form FC GPR to Reserve Bank after issue of shares to person resident outside India 2 Brief details of the company M/s Purita Water Solution Pvt Ltd are as follows: Date of Incorporation Friday, June 03, 2005
Its main activities are: To provide services for design, install, erect, commission, maintenance, consultancy, advisory, research, analysis, investigation, improvement, report, repair, operation, engineering for water treatment plant, water disinfecting system, any industrial process plants & systems, effluent recycling & polishing system, to carry on the business as manufacturers, agents, traders, distributors, importers, exporters, suppliers of above plants, various chemicals, spare parts, consumable necessary for the above plants & systems in India and abroad and to carry out business of all other related products & services for the above said plants.
3 The applicant received foreign inward remittances from non-resident investors towards equity / compulsorily convertible preference shares/ compulsorily convertible debentures and the company 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, LSF stands for : Late Submission Fees
S Date of amount received Date of Para 9 (1) date of Para 8 No/ inward (in INR) reporting (A)delay allotment/ delay lsf remittance to RBI refund
1 20/03/12 3,020,000.00 14/08/12 0Y 3M 24D 26/03/12 0 2 16/11/12 5,044,651.20 25/04/13 0Y 4M 9D 15/04/13 0 3 30/01/13 2,767,282.70 25/04/13 0Y 1M 23D 15/04/13 0 TOTAL 10,831,934.00
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Purita Water Solution Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 801/2018
The applicant reported receipt of remittances to the Reserve Bank of India on dates indicated above with a delay ranging from 0Y 1M 23D to 0Y 4M 9D .Further, the applicant company delayed in reporting in all the three remittances beyond the stipulated time of 30 days. Whereas, in terms of Paragraph 9 (1) (A) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB, 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/preference shares/convertible preference shares 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 and FV stands for Face Value) Sno Date of number of FV+ Amount (FV*no Date of Para 9 (1) / lsf allotment shares premium of shares) reporting (B) delay (in INR) (in INR) 1 26/03/12 15000 200 3,000,000.00 07/01/13 0Y 8M 11D 2 28/03/13 38417 10 384,170.00 20/05/17 4Y 0M 22D 3 15/04/13 33904 231 7,831,824.00 13/06/13 0Y 0M 28D 4 27/05/13 527680 10 5,276,800.00 20/05/17 3Y 10M 23D TOTAL 16,492,794.00 The applicant filed form FC-GPRs as indicated above with a delay ranging from 0Y 0M 28D to 4Y 0M 22D. Whereas, in terms of Paragraph 9(1) (B) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB, 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 January 18, 2019 .The applicant applied for waiver of personal hearing vide e mail dated January 21, 2019. The applicant, in the compounding application, had admitted the contraventions as stated above for which compounding has been sought. It had been submitted that the contraventions were not wilful and were unintentional. 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. 6 I have given my careful consideration to the documents on record and thereafter. Accordingly, I hold that the applicant has contravened the following FEMA provisions issued in terms of:
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Purita Water Solution Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 801/2018 a) Paragraph 9(1) (A) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB due to the delay in reporting of receipt of foreign inward remittance towards subscription of shares as detailed above. The contravention relates to an amount of Rs. 10,831,934 (Rupees One Crore Eight Lakhs Thirty One Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty Four and Zero Paise Only ) and with a delay ranging from minimum 0Y 1M 23D to maximum 0Y 4M 9D approximately b) Paragraph 9(1) (B) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB 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 an amount of Rs. 16,492,794 (Rupees One Crore Sixty Four Lakhs Ninety Two Thousand Seven Hundred Ninety Four and Zero Paise Only ) and with a delay ranging from minimum 0Y 0M 28D to maximum 4Y 0M 22D approximately 7 It has been declared in the compounding application dated October 08, 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. 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.58,125 (Rupees Fifty Eight Thousand One Hundred Twenty 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) and Para 9 (1) (B) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB 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. 58,125 (Rupees Fifty Eight Thousand One Hundred Twenty 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
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Purita Water Solution Pvt Ltd, CA No: MUM 801/2018
10 The above order is passed only in respect of contraventions of Para 9 (1) (A) and Para 9 (1) (B) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB 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. 11 The application is disposed of accordingly. Dated: January 24, 2019 Compounding Authority (J.K. Pandey) Chief General Manager
This page reproduces a public judgment and a summary of it. It is research material, not legal advice, and it is no substitute for advice from an advocate on your own facts.
Research this judgment with Miss Lucy
Ask what it holds, what has followed it, and what it means for your matter — in plain English, with the citations.
Try Miss Lucy free