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Terra Motors India Pvt. Ltd.

Reserve Bank Of India3 May 2000

Ratio decidendi

The rule this decision rests on

This is a compounding order under Section 15(1) of FEMA, not a judgment resolving a contested legal question. The order records admitted contraventions and a payment direction; it states no rule of law beyond the mechanics of compounding, and the only reasoning is the application of the stated facts to the admitted breaches of paragraphs 9(1)(A) and 9(1)(B) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, with the penalty fixed on a lenient view. NO_RATIO: the order is an administrative compounding disposal resting on the applicant's admissions and a discretionary assessment of the sum payable, and it states no legal principle that decides a contested question.

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 6, Sansad Marg New Delhi-110001 Present V.G. Sekar Chief General Manager Date: May 3, 2019 CA No. NDL 359/2018 In the matter of Terra Motors India Private Limited 1449/21, Main 100ft Road, Durga Puri, Shahdara, East Delhi, Delhi-110093 (Applicant) In exercise of the powers under Section 15(1) of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and the Regulations/ Rules/ Notifications/ Orders made thereunder, I pass the following Order. ORDER The applicant has filed the compounding application dated December 26, 2018 (received at Reserve Bank of India, New Delhi on December 27, 2018) for compounding of contraventions of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (hereinafter referred to as FEMA) and the regulations issued thereunder. The contraventions sought to be compounded are those of (i) delay in reporting foreign inward remittance received for issue of shares, and (ii) delay in filing Form FC-GPR after issue of shares in terms of paragraphs 9(1)(A) and 9(1)(B) respectively of 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 (hereinafter referred to as FEMA 20/2000-RB), as amended from time to time. 2. The relevant facts of the case are as follows: (a) The applicant company, incorporated on July 7, 2014, is engaged in the business of manufacture of three-wheelers and their engine.

Terra Motors India Private Limited CA No. NDL 359/2018 (b) The applicant had received foreign inward remittance of ₹11,41,99,090.45 on June 25, 2015 from its foreign investor, M/s Terra Motors Corporation, Japan, and reported it on August 7, 2015 with a delay of 13 days beyond the prescribed period in contravention of paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, as then applicable. Whereas, in terms of paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000- RB, an Indian company issuing shares or convertible debentures or warrants in accordance with these Regulations shall submit through AD bank to the Regional Office concerned of the Reserve Bank under whose jurisdiction the Registered office of the company operates, not later than 30 days from the date of receipt of the amount of consideration received by Indian company for issue of shares or convertible debentures or warrants, a report in Advance Reporting Form as specified by Reserve Bank from time to time along with documents prescribed therein. (c) The applicant had reported the allotment of shares to its foreign investor, M/s Terra Motors Corporation, Japan, on two occasions with delay ranging from 1 year and 27 days to 1 year, 8 months and 4 days beyond the prescribed period, as detailed below, in contravention of paragraph 9(1)(B) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, as then applicable. Sl. No. Date of Amount (₹) Date of allotment Reporting 1 28.07.2015 11,41,99,090.00 01.05.2017 2 05.07.2017 4,46,88,000.00 31.08.2018 Total 15,88,87,090.00 Whereas, in terms of paragraph 9(1)(B) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, an Indian company issuing shares or convertible debentures or warrants in accordance with these Regulations shall submit through AD bank to the Regional Office concerned of the Reserve Bank under whose jurisdiction the Registered office of the company operates, not later than 30 days from the date of issue of shares or convertible debentures or warrants, a report in Form FC-GPR as specified by the Reserve Bank from time to time together with documents prescribed therein. (d) Thus, there are contraventions of paragraphs 9(1)(A) and 9(1)(B) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, as then applicable.

3. The applicant was given an opportunity for personal hearing for further submission in person and/ or by producing documents, if any, in support of the application. Ms. Ritasha Talwar, Chartered Accountant, appeared for personal hearing on May 2,

Terra Motors India Private Limited CA No. NDL 359/2018

2019 on behalf of the applicant. The representative of the applicant admitted the contraventions committed by the applicant for which compounding has been sought. During the personal hearing, she submitted that contraventions were without any malafide or wilful intention but were mainly due to lack of awareness about reporting under FEMA. She requested for a lenient view in the matter. The application for compounding is, therefore, being considered on the basis of averments made in the application as well as other documents and submissions made during the personal hearing.

4. I have given my careful consideration to the documents on record and submissions made by the applicant during the personal hearing. Accordingly, I hold that the applicant has contravened the following FEMA provisions: (a) Paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, on account of delay in reporting foreign inward remittances received towards subscription of shares as detailed in paragraph 2(b) above. The contraventions relate to an amount of ₹11,41,99,090.45 (Rupees Eleven Crore Forty One Lakh Ninety Nine Thousand Ninety and Paise Forty Five only) and the period of delay is 13 days. (b) Paragraph 9(1)(B) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, on account of delay in filing Form FC-GPR after issue of shares as detailed in paragraph 2(c) above. The contraventions relate to an amount of ₹15,88,87,090/- (Rupees Fifteen Crore Eighty Eight Lakh Eighty Seven Thousand and Ninety only) and the period of delay ranges from 1 year and 27 days to 1 year, 8 months and 4 days.

5. It has been declared in the compounding application dated December 26, 2018, that the particulars given by the applicant in the application are true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief. It has also been declared in the declaration dated December 26, 2018 furnished with 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, thereafter. It has further been declared that the applicant has not filed any appeal under Section 17 or Section 19 of FEMA. 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 Terra Motors India Private Limited CA No. NDL 359/2018 taken by any authority under the extant laws if the said declarations are subsequently discovered to be false and/ or incorrect.

6. In terms of Section 13 of 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 ₹2,57,000/- (Rupees Two Lakh Fifty Seven Thousand only) will meet the ends of justice.

7. Accordingly, I compound the admitted contraventions of paragraphs 9(1)(A) and 9(1)(B) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, as then applicable, by the applicant based on the facts detailed above in terms of the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000, on payment of an amount of ₹2,57,000/- (Rupees Two Lakh Fifty Seven Thousand only) which shall be deposited by the applicant with the Reserve Bank of India, Foreign Exchange Department, 6, Sansad Marg, New Delhi - 110001 by a demand draft drawn in favour of the “Reserve Bank of India” and payable at New Delhi 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.

The application is disposed accordingly.

Dated this the 3rd day of May 2019.

Sd/- (V.G. Sekar) Chief General Manager

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