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Xl Energy Ltd vs Khandoba Prasanna Sakhar Karkhana Ltd. ...

National Company Law Appellate Tribunal11 September 2019

Ratio decidendi

The rule this decision rests on

An operational creditor who has not filed its claim before the Resolution Professional, or before the Committee of Creditors approves the resolution plan, cannot raise that claim for the first time by a miscellaneous application made after the plan has been approved under Section 31 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, and the Adjudicating Authority is not bound to consider such an application. An application that is not verified by any person, or that lacks the notary's signature, is an incomplete application which the Adjudicating Authority may properly decline to place before the Tribunal.

Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.

Judgment

As delivered

NATIONAL COMPANY LAW APPELLATE TRIBUNALNEW DELHICompany Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) No. 907 of 2019IN THE MATTER OF:XL Energy Ltd. ...AppellantVersusKhandoba Prasanna SakharKarkhana Ltd. & Ors. ...Respondents

Present: For Appellant : Mr. Abhijit Mittal and Ms. Nandini Aishwarya, Advocates

For Respondents : Mr. Anandh K., Advocate for Karad Urban Bank

ORDER

11.09.2019 In the 'Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process' against

'Khandoba Prasanna Sakhar Karkhana Ltd.' (Corporate Debtor) when the

'resolution plan' approved by the 'Committee of Creditors' was under

consideration, the Appellant, who claimed to be an 'Operational Creditor', stated

to have filed a Miscellaneous Application No. 2802 of 2019 under Section 60 of

'the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016' (for short, 'the I&B Code'), a copy

of which has been enclosed at page 137. The Adjudicating Authority (National

Company Law Tribunal), Mumbai Bench while considered the resolution plan,

passed the impugned order dated 1st August, 2019 approving the plan and

disposed of the number of Miscellaneous Applications.

The grievance of the Appellant is that the Miscellaneous Application

preferred by the Appellant has not been considered by the Adjudicating Authority

while approving the plan.

2

Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the Appellant has enclosed a

'Miscellaneous Application' at page 137 but there is no number shown therein.

However, it is orally stated that the Miscellaneous Application was numbered by

the Adjudicating Authority as 'Miscellaneous Application No. 2802 of 2019'.

Thus we find that the Miscellaneous Application received by the National

Company law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench, Mumbai on 26th July, 2019 photocopy

of which has been enclosed and notarised by one 'Mohd. Hameed Khan' but no

person has verified the said application and we may say that for the said reason,

the matter was not placed before the National Company Law Tribunal.

Without going into those technical aspects, we have also noticed the prayer

made therein and the plea taken by the learned counsel for the Appellant. The

Appellant has taken the plea that machinery were leased by the Appellant in

favour of the 'Corporate Debtor' by Agreements dated 8th February, 2007 and on

8th February, 2009. The aforesaid fact has not been considered as no claim was

filed by the Appellant before the 'Resolution Professional'. However, after

approval of the plan by the 'Committee of Creditors', when the matter was placed

before the Adjudicating Authority for its approval, the application was filed.

Mr. K. Anand, Advocate appearing for 'Caveator - Karad Urban Co-

operative Bank Ltd.' (Financial Creditor) having 98% voting share. He submits

that no claim was filed by the Appellant, before the approval of the 'resolution

plan'.

Having heard the learned counsel for the Appellant and the learned

counsel appearing on behalf of the Caveator (Financial Creditor), we are of the

view that the Appellant having not filed any claim as creditor before the

'Resolution Professional' or before the approval of the 'Resolution Plan' by

Company Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) No. 907 of 2019 3

'Committee of Creditors', there is no occasion to move the application at the fag

end after approval of resolution plan under Section 31 of the 'I&B Code'. Further

as it appears that the Miscellaneous Application was incomplete, as per our

record, though it do not bears the signature of the Notary, we hold that the

Miscellaneous Application has rightly not considered by the Adjudicating

Authority. The appeal is accordingly dismissed. No costs.

However, this order will not come in the way of the Appellant to move

application before appropriate Forum for appropriate relief.

[Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya] Chairperson

[ Kanthi Narahari ] Member (Technical) /ns/gc

Company Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) No. 907 of 2019

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