Financial Creditor Cannot Avoid Liquidation Costs After Settling Dues Through OTS: NCLT Bengaluru

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) at Bengaluru has held that a financial creditor that participated in the liquidation process and secured its dues through a one-time settlement cannot later avoid paying its share of liquidation costs for the ime it had taken part in it. A coram of Judicial Member Sunil Kumar Aggarwal and Technical Member Radhakrishna Sreepada directed Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd to bear its proportionate share of liquidation expenses in the liquidation of Alpine...

Promise To Arrange Funds In Case of Default Does Not Make Promoter A Guarantor: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India has held that a promoter's promise to arrange funds to help a borrower meet financial covenants does not amount to a contract of guarantee under the Indian Contract Act and cannot be used to fasten insolvency liability on the promoter. A bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Alok Aradhe said that for an obligation to qualify as a guarantee under Section 126 of the Act, there must be a clear and unambiguous promise by the surety to repay the borrower's debt if the...

Special Court Cannot Hear Private Complaints In Companies Act Fraud Cases; Only SFIO Can File: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday held that a special court cannot entertain a private complaint in cases involving fraud under the Companies Act. It ruled that where an offence attracts punishment under the fraud provision, cognisance can be taken only on a complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office or an authorised officer of the Central government. A Division Bench of Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice K Vinod Chandran held that offences under Section 448 of the Companies Act, which...

Delhi High Court Orders Deutsche Bank To Refund Rs 3.45 Crore To MSME Exporter

The Delhi High Court has ordered Deutsche Bank to refund Rs 3.45 crore to an MSME exporter, M D Overseas Private Limited. The court held that the bank wrongly recovered interest subvention benefits that had already been given upfront under the Interest Equalization Scheme. A single-judge bench of Justice Amit Bansal said the bank's move defeated the purpose of the scheme. The scheme, the court noted, was meant to "enhance the global competitiveness of Indian exports by lowering the cost of...