Meissa Realty Ventures Private Limited
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. MUM913/2019
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
The compounding authority holds that a contravention of Para 9(1)(A) of FEMA 20 (delay in reporting receipt of foreign inward remittance towards subscription to equity) and of Para 9(1)(B) (delay in filing Form FC-GPR after issue of shares to a non-resident) is established where the applicant's own admissions and the dates on the record show the reporting and filing were made beyond the prescribed period of thirty days, and such contraventions may be compounded under the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 on payment of a sum fixed by the authority in the exercise of its discretion under section 15(1) of FEMA, having regard to the admitted non-wilful nature of the default and the relevant facts and circumstances of the case, notwithstanding that section 13 would otherwise expose the person to a penalty of up to thrice the sum involved.
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 Mohan Krishnamurthy Deputy General Manager September 06, 2019 CA No. MUM913/2019 In the matter of M/s Meissa Realty Ventures Private Limited Plot 1, Forbes Building, 2nd Floor, Dr. VB Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai - 400001 (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 June 14, 2019, received at the Reserve Bank on June 14, 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) (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
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Meissa Realty Ventures Private Limited, CA No: MUM 913/2019
2 Brief details of the applicant company are as follows: Date of Incorporation February 27, 2017 Its main activities are: Construction of buildings carried out on own-account basis or on a fee or contract basis 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 in reporting Foreign Direct Investment &/or delay in allotting the shares/ refunding the amount (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 Sr. Date of Amount received Date of Para 9 (1) A Date of Para 8 No/ inward (in INR) reporting to delay allotment delay LSF remittanc RBI / refund e (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY) 1 30-03-17 44,70,049.50 01-04-17 0 30-03-17 0 2 31-03-17 2 2,295.60 31-08-18 1Y 4M 0D 15-04-17 0 3 13-04-17 15,73,391.91 31-08-18 1Y 3M 18D 15-04-17 0 4 22-03-19 3,73,04,687.00 NA 0 28-03-19 0 TOTAL 4,33,70,424.00 In terms of Para 9 (1) (A) of 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. However the applicant company reported receipt of remittances to the Reserve Bank of India on dates indicated above in 2 out of 4 total remittances with a delay ranging from 1Y 3M 18D to 1Y 4M 0D.
4 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 Para 9 (1) no/ allotment shares premium) of shares) reporting (B) delay LSF (DD-MM-YY) (in INR) (in INR) (DD-MM-YY)
1 30-03-17 447004 10.00 44,70,040.00 19-04-17 0 2 15-04-17 2229 10.00 22,290.00 20-03-19 1Y 10M 2D 3 15-04-17 157339 10.00 15,73,390.00 04-04-19 1Y 10M 17D
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Meissa Realty Ventures Private Limited, CA No: MUM 913/2019
4 28-03-19 3730468 10.00 3,73,04,680.00 13-04-19 0 TOTAL 4,33,70,400.00 The applicant filed form FC-GPRs as indicated above with a delay ranging from 1Y 10M 2D to 1Y 10M 17D. 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. 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 August 30, 2019. The applicant applied for waiver of personal hearing vide e mail dated August 30, 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: 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.15,95,688 (Rupees Fifteen Lakh Ninety Five Thousand Six Hundred Eighty Eight and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 1Y 3M 18D to maximum 1Y 4M 0D 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.15,95,680 (Rupees Fifteen Lakh Ninety Five Thousand Six Hundred Eighty and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 1Y 10M 2D to maximum 1Y 10M 17D approximately.
7 It has been declared in the compounding application dated June 14, 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.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Meissa Realty Ventures Private Limited, CA No: MUM 913/2019
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.31,458 (Rupees Thirty One Thousand Four Hundred Fifty Eight 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. 31,458 (Rupees Thirty One Thousand Four Hundred Fifty Eight 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.
11 The application is disposed of accordingly. dated: September 06, 2019 Compounding Authority (Mohan Krishnamurthy) Deputy General Manager
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