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Sns Starch Ltd vs Vasavi & Company

National Company Law Appellate Tribunal28 July 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

NATIONAL COMPANY LAW APPELLATE TRIBUNAL, NEW DELHICompany Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) No. 610 of 2020In the matter of:

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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