Universal Sports Biz Private Ltd.
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. HYD 141
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
The compounding authority holds that a delay in reporting receipt of foreign inward remittances for share subscription beyond the 30-day period in Paragraph 9(1)(A) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB, and a delay in filing Form FC-GPR beyond the 30-day period in Paragraph 9(1)(B), each constitute a contravention of the FEMA regulations, and that such admitted contraventions may be compounded under the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 on payment of a sum fixed by the Regional Director in lieu of penalty under Section 13, having regard to the short duration of the delay, the absence of wilful or mala fide conduct, and the applicant's request for leniency.
Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.
Judgment
As delivered
(Applicant) In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 15 (1) of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and the Regulations/ Rules/ Notifications/ Orders made there under, I pass the following Order The applicant has filed the compounding application dated May 31, 2016 received on June 24, 2016 for compounding of contravention of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (the FEMA) and the regulations issued there under. The contraventions sought to be compounded are (i) delay in reporting receipt of foreign inward remittances and (ii) delay in submission of Form FC-GPR to the Reserve Bank after issue of shares towards subscription to equity to a person resident outside India in terms of in Paragraph 9 (1) (A) and Paragraph 9 (1) (B) of Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or issue of Security by a Person Resident outside
FED M/s. Universal Sportsbiz Private Limited CA No. HYD 141 India) Regulations, 2000 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 3rd May 2000 and as amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to as Notification No. FEMA 20 /2000-RB). 2. The relevant facts of the case are as follows: a) The applicant is a resident company incorporated as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956 on April 23, 2012. The company is in the business of wholesale trade in games, toys, textiles and sports goods. b) The applicant had received foreign inward remittances from overseas investors towards advance for subscription to equity shares as indicated below:
Sl Name of Remitter Total Amount Date of Date of No. (`) Receipt Reporting Accel India III (Mauritius) 1 8,10,00,000 25.07.2012 24.08.2012 Ltd Accel India III (Mauritius) 2 9,15,00,000 08.11.2013 13.12.2013 Ltd Accel India III (Mauritius) 3 9,00,00,000 06.08.2014 08.09.2014 Ltd Accel India III (Mauritius) 4 6,30,49,131 28.05.2015 29.06.2015 Ltd Accel Growth III Holdings 5 31,49,59,069 28.05.2015 29.06.2015 (Mauritius) Ltd Accel Growth III 13,19,73,295.08 19.05.2016 01.06.2016 6 (Mauritius) Ltd Total 77,24,81,495.08
The applicant reported receipt of remittances towards share subscription amounting to ` 77,24,81,495.08 to the Regional Office of Reserve Bank of India and remittances amounting to ` 55,95,08,200/- was reported with delay ranging from 1 day to 6 days approximately as indicated above. Whereas in terms of paragraph 9 (1) (A) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB, an Indian company issuing shares or FED M/s. Universal Sportsbiz Private Limited CA No. HYD 141 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. c) The company allotted equity shares and filed Form FC-GPRs as indicated below: SN Name of Investor Date of Number of Amount for Date of allotment of shares which shares reporting to shares allotted allotted (`) RBI 1 Equity Accel India III 26.07.2012 Share & 1999 8,10,00,000 21.08.2012 (Mauritius) Ltd 1 CCPS Accel India III 28.02.2014 1463 CCPS 9,14,99,999.36 27.03.2014 2 (Mauritius) Ltd Accel India III 90,00,000 06.10.2014 9,00,00,000 05.11.2014 3 (Mauritius) Ltd equity Accel India III 440 CCPS 6,30,49,131.20 4 (Mauritius) Ltd Accel Growth III 28.05.2015 1 equity 1,43,293.48 02.07.2015 Holdings (Mauritius) Ltd 2197 CCPS 31,48,15,775.56 5 Accel India III 24.05.2016 921 CCPS 13,19,73,295.08 22.06.2016 6 (Mauritius) Ltd Total 77,24,81,494.68
The applicant filed Form FC-GPRs for the allotment of shares amounting to ` 37,80,08,200.24 as listed at Sr No. 4 and 5 indicated above with a delay of 4 days approximately beyond the prescribed limit. Whereas in terms of paragraph 9 (1) (B) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB, an Indian company issuing shares in accordance with these Regulations has to submit to Reserve Bank a report in Form FC- GPR along with documents prescribed therein within 30 days from the date of issue of shares to person resident outside India.
FED M/s. Universal Sportsbiz Private Limited CA No. HYD 141 3 a) The applicant was given an opportunity for personal hearing vide Reserve Bank’s letter No. HY.FE.FID/573/14.66.003/2016-17 dated September 15, 2016 for further submission in person and/or producing documents, if any, in support of the application. b) The applicant appeared for personal hearing on September 22, 2016 during which Shri Tarun Saraf, Finance Controller of the company represented the applicant. The applicant admitted the contraventions for which the compounding has been sought. During the personal hearing it was submitted that the delay was due to administrative reasons in initial time and was neither willful nor with a malafide intention. In view of the foregoing, the applicant requested to take a lenient view in disposal of the application. The application for compounding is, therefore, being considered on the basis of the averments made in the application as well the submissions made in this context by the applicant during the personal hearing. 4. I have given my careful consideration to the documents on record and submission made by the applicant during the personal hearing.
Accordingly, I hold that the applicant has contravened the following FEMA provisions issued in terms of: a) Paragraph 9 (1) (A) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA.20/ 2000-RB due to delay in reporting of receipt of foreign inward remittances towards subscription to equity shares as detailed above. The contraventions relate to an amount of ` 55,95,08,200/-and the duration of contravention ranges from 1 day to 6 days approximately. b) Paragraph 9 (1) (B) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. 20/2000-RB due to delay in submission of Form FC-GPR to Reserve Bank after issue of shares to persons resident outside India and the contravention relates to an amount of ` 37,80,08,200.24 and the duration of contravention is 4 days approximately. 5. In terms of Section 13 of the FEMA, any person contravening any provision of the Act shall be liable to a penalty upto 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 FED M/s. Universal Sportsbiz Private Limited CA No. HYD 141 the amount for which the contravention is to be compounded and I consider that an amount of Rs.48,000/- (Rupees Forty Eight Thousand Only) will meet the ends of justice.
6. Accordingly, I compound the admitted contraventions namely, the contraventions of Paragraph 9 (1) (A) and Paragraph 9 (1) (B) of Schedule 1 to Notification No. FEMA- 20/2000-RB 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. 48,000/- (Rupees Forty Eight Thousand Only) which shall be deposited by the applicant with the Reserve Bank of India, Foreign Exchange Department, 1st Floor, Saifabad, Hyderabad - 500004 by a demand draft drawn in favour of the "Reserve Bank of India" and payable at Hyderabad 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, Rule10 of the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 dated May 3, 2000 shall apply.
The application is disposed accordingly.
Dated this twenty ninth day of September 2016.
Sd/- (Ramanath Dash) Regional Director
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