Mahindra Defence Systems Limited
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. MUM 966/2019
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
The Compounding Authority holds that a delay in filing Form FC-GPR with the Reserve Bank beyond the 30-day period prescribed by Para 9(1)(B) of FEMA 20 is a contravention of that regulation, and that such contravention may be compounded under Section 15(1) of FEMA, 1999 and the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 upon the applicant's admission of the contravention and payment of the compounding amount, the amount being fixed by the Authority in the exercise of its discretion to take a lenient view in view of the circumstances of the case, the applicant's declarations as to the truth of its application and absence of pending proceedings, and the bona fides of the delay.
Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.
Judgment
As delivered
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 966/2019 In the matter of M/s Mahindra Defence Systems Limited Mahindra Towers, P K Kurne Chowk, Dr. G.M. Bhosale Marg, Worli, Mumbai - 400 018 (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 September 12, 2019, received at the Reserve Bank on September 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 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 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): (i) 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 July 30, 2012 Its main activities are: Design, development, manufacture, supply etc of all kinds of defence and non-defence systems.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Mahindra Defence Systems Limited, CA No: MUM 966/2019
3 The company allotted equity shares/compulsorily convertible preference shares/compulsorily convertible debentures and filed FC-GPRs as indicated below:
Delay in filing Form FCGPR (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 Sr. Date of Number of IP (FV+ Amount (IP*no Date of Delay in no/ allotment shares premium) of shares) reporting filing LSF (in INR) (in INR) FCGPR (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY)
1 15-11-10 12038000 11.68 1406,03,840.00 11-12-10 0 2 27-04-11 3380000 10.00 338,00,000.00 06-07-11 0Y 1M 9D 3 16-01-12 2210000 10.00 221,00,000.00 02-03-12 0Y 0M 15D 4 18-01-13 4472000 10.00 447,20,000.00 15-02-13 0 TOTAL 2412,23,840.00 The applicant filed form FC-GPRs as indicated above with a delay ranging from 0Y 0M 15D to 0Y 1M 9D. Whereas, in terms of Para 9(1) (B) of 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.
4 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 12, 2018. The applicant appeared for personal hearing on December 18, 2019, during which Mr Tarun Kumar Malik, Finance Head (Land Division) of the company represented the applicant in the office of the Compounding Authority. The representative of the applicant admitted the contraventions for which compounding has been sought. During the hearing by the Compounding Authority the representative of the applicant submitted that the delay was inadvertant and unintentional. They 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. 5 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) (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.559,00,000/- (Rupees Five Crore Fifty Nine Lakh and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 0Y 0M 15D to maximum 0Y 1M 9D approximately.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Mahindra Defence Systems Limited, CA No: MUM 966/2019
6 It has been declared in the compounding application dated September 12, 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. 7 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.22,500/- (Rupees Twenty Two Thousand Five Hundred and Zero Paise Only) will meet the ends of justice.
8 Accordingly, I compound the admitted contravention/s namely, the contravention/s of 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. 22,500/- (Rupees Twenty 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. 9 The above order is passed only in respect of contraventions of Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20 and does not restrict the rights of any other authority to proceed against the Company for any other violations/contraventions noticed at any point of time.
10 The application is disposed of accordingly.
(Aviral Jain) Chief General Manager and Compounding Authority Dated: December 20, 2019
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