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UHYR Labs Pvt. Ltd.

Reserve Bank Of India3 May 2000

Ratio decidendi

The rule this decision rests on

This order is a compounding order under Section 15(1) of FEMA, and it decides that the admitted delays in reporting inward remittance and filing Form FC-GPR under paragraphs 9(1)(A) and 9(1)(B) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB constitute contraventions which may be compounded on payment of a sum fixed by reference to the Guidance Note on Computation Matrix in the Master Direction on Compounding of Contraventions, framed under the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000. Where a contravention is admitted, the penalty exposure under Section 13 of FEMA (up to thrice the sum involved) is not applied as such; instead the amount of the compounding payment is determined in accordance with the prescribed computation matrix, and the authority is persuaded that the amount so fixed meets the ends of justice having regard to the applicant's submissions and the circumstances of the case. Compounding is conditional on the veracity of the applicant's declarations in the compounding application (including the declaration that no enquiry, investigation or adjudication was pending and no appeal had been filed under Section 17 or 19 of FEMA); if those declarations prove false, the order is without prejudice to other action under the extant laws.

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 Md. Shakir Hasan Assistant General Manager Date: September 04, 2019 CA No. NDL 462/2019 In the matter of UHYR Labs Private Limited Unit No. 501, 5th Floor, Tower A, Spaze I Tech Park, Sector 49, Sohna Road, Gurugram, Haryana - 122001 (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 May 21, 2019 (received at Reserve Bank of India, New Delhi on May 22, 2019) 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.

UHYR Labs Private Limited CA No. NDL 462/2019

2. The relevant facts of the case are as follows: (a) The applicant company was incorporated on July 27, 2016 and is engaged in the business of providing software support and maintenance to the clients. (b) The applicant had received foreign inward remittance of ₹7,00,447/- from its foreign investors, Gurpreet Kaur Kohli and Saurabh Chugh, Singapore, on August 28, 2017 and reported the same on December 24, 2017 with a delay of 2 months and 27 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 a copy/ies of documents prescribed therein. (c) The applicant had issued 173 equity shares for a consideration of ₹7,00,477/- to its foreign investors, Gurpreet Kaur Kohli and Saurabh Chugh, Singapore, on September 18, 2017 and reported the same on May 06, 2019 with a delay of 1 year, 6 months and 18 days, beyond the prescribed period in contravention of paragraph 9(1)(B) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, as then applicable. 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 the 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. Shri Nisheeth Kumar, Director, appeared for personal hearing on September 03, 2019 on UHYR Labs Private Limited CA No. NDL 462/2019 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, he submitted that contraventions were without any malafide or wilful intention but were mainly due to delay in receipt of KYC and FIRC with correct address. He 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, as then applicable, on account of delay in reporting of foreign inward remittance received towards subscription of shares as detailed in paragraph 2(b) above. The contravention relates to an amount of ₹7,00,447/- (Rupees Seven Lakh Four Hundred and Forty Seven only) and the period of delay is 2 months and 27 days. (b) Paragraph 9(1)(B) of Schedule 1 to FEMA 20/2000-RB, as then applicable, on account of delay in filing Form FC-GPR after issue of shares as detailed in paragraph 2(c) above. The contravention relates to an amount of ₹7,00,477/- (Rupees Seven Lakh Four Hundred and Seventy Seven only) and the period of delay is 1 year, 6 months and 18 days.

5. It has been declared in the compounding application dated May 21, 2019, 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 July 09, 2019, furnished as a part of 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 taken by any authority under the extant laws if the said declarations are subsequently discovered to be false

UHYR Labs Private Limited CA No. NDL 462/2019 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. After considering the submissions made by the applicant and the entire facts and circumstances of the case I am persuaded to compound the contraventions, in line with the Guidance Note on Computation Matrix prescribed as part of Master Direction – Compounding of Contraventions, framed in accordance with the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000. Accordingly, it stands to reason that payment of an amount of ₹21,830/- (Rupees Twenty One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty only) will meet the ends of justice in the circumstances of this case.

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 ₹21,830/- (Rupees Twenty One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty 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 4th day of September 2019.

Sd/- (Md. Shakir Hasan) Assistant General Manager

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