Sns Starch Ltd vs Vasavi & Company
- CitationCompany Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) No. 610 of 2020
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
The Adjudicating Authority is entitled to refuse to re-open a petition on an application filed at a highly belated stage, where the application's purpose is found to be the prolongation of proceedings and no sufficient grounds for re-opening are shown after the matter has been heard and ripe for order. Where the Adjudicating Authority has, on such a ground, dismissed an application to re-open, an appellate tribunal finding no legal infirmity in that refusal may dismiss the appeal, while preserving the appellant's liberty to file written submissions before the Adjudicating Authority within a fixed time, which that authority may take on record in deciding the main petition on merits in accordance with law.
Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.
Judgment
As delivered
SNS Starch Ltd. ....Appellant
Vs.
Vasavi & Company ....Respondent
Present: Appellant: Mr. Nithin Chowdary Pavuluri, for Advocate
Respondent: None
ORDER
28.07.2020: Heard the Learned Counsel for the Appellant/Corporate
Debtor.
The Adjudicating Authority, National Company Law Tribunal, Hyderabad
Bench while passing the Impugned Order in IA 308 of 2020 in CP (IB) No.
441/9/HDB/2019 on 13.05.2020 at Paragraph 12 had observed the following
and ultimately dismissed the Application:
"This is an Application filed at a highly belated stage and the intention for filing this Application is only to prolong the matter. Absolutely there are no sufficient grounds to re-open the matter which was long back heard and ripe for pronouncing the order. The Application has no merits at all and is liable to be dismissed."
According to the Appellant, there are some variations in the amount
mentioned in the invoices against Sl. No. 15 and Sl. No. 160 and also that a
1 sum of Rs. 2,28,500/- claimed under Invoice No. 180 mentioned that Sl. No. 16
is disputed as the material paper was not enclosed. Moreover, the material
papers filed by the Operational Creditor on page 85 to 223 and 241 to 380 are
one and the same but inconsistent with the amounts cited at page no. 5 to 7 of
the Company Petition.
The grievance of the Appellant/Applicant (Corporate Debtor) is that in
the main CP (IB) No. 441/9/HDB/2019 in February 2020, the Order was
reserved and since the invoices filed in the subject matter are not legible etc.
and added further there being a variation, the Applicant/Appellant (Corporate
Debtor) is very much handicapped in not able to present his Written
Submissions before the Adjudicating Authority.
Considering the fact for the instant IA No. 308 of 2020 filed by the
Appellant/Applicant/Corporate Debtor before the Adjudicating Authority
wherein reliefs were sought to re-open the petition CP (IB) No.
441/9/HDB/2019 to put forth additional facts on record and directions being
issued to the Operational Creditor/ the Petitioner to produce legible papers on
documents filed together with a petition came to be dismissed on 13.05.2020
with an observation that the said Application was filed at highly belated stage
and that the intention for filing the said Application was only to prolong the
matter and that there were no sufficient grounds to re-open the matter which
was heard long back etc., this Tribunal finds no legal infirmity in the Impugned
Order. Viewed in that perspective this Court at this stage, simpliciter deems it
fit and proper to dismiss the present Appeal and the same is accordingly
2 dismissed. Connected IA No. 1623/2020, 1624/2020, 1625/2020 are closed.
However, we grant liberty to the Appellant/Applicant/Corporate Debtor to
submit its Written Submissions before the Adjudicating Authority through its
counsels by 13th August, 2020. In the event of Appellant/Applicant/Corporate
Debtor filing the Written Submission before the Ld. Adjudicating Authority in
CP (IB) No. 441/9/HDB/2019 within the time adumbrated by this Tribunal
then, the said submissions may be taken on record by the (Adjudicating
Authority), NCLT Hyderabad Bench and to pass necessary recent orders in the
main Company Petition on merits, offcourse in accordance with law and in the
manner also that this Tribunal, in furtherance of substantial cause of justice
directs the Ld. Counsel for the Appellant/Applicant/Corporate Debtor to bring
to the notice of the Adjudicating Authority about the judgement of this Tribunal
in the present Company Appeal without any further loss of time.
Before parting with the case, the Appellant is directed to produce the
certified copy of the Impugned Order dated 13.05.2020 of the Adjudicating
Authority within two weeks from today.
[Justice Venugopal M.] Member (Judicial)
[Balvinder Singh] Member (Technical)
[Ms. Shreesha Merla] Member (Technical) ha/nn Company Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) No. 610 of 2020
3
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