Adjudicating Authority Must Consider Application U/S 65 Of IBC On Merits When Allegations Of Malicious Initiation Of CIRP Are Raised: NCLAT

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) New Delhi bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Mr. Barun Mitra (Technical Member) has held that once an application under Section 65 of the IBC is filed and allegations of malicious or fraudulent initiation of the CIRP are raised, the Adjudicating Authority is bound to consider it on merits and cannot reject it solely on the ground of lack of locus. The present appeal has been filed against an order passed by the National Company Law ...

Liquidation Is Only Recourse When Sole Financial Creditor Is A Related Party: NCLAT New Delhi

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), Principal Bench, New Delhi, comprising Justice Mr. N. Seshasayee (Member-Judicial), Mr. Arun Baroka (Member-Technical), and Mr. Indevar Pandey (Member-Technical), has held that the liquidation is the only recourse when the sole financial creditor is a related party. Background of the Case The corporate debtor, M/s/ STROS Esquire Elevators & Hoists Pvt. Ltd., was incorporated as a joint venture vehicle by virtue of an...

NCLT Declares Former DHFL Chairman Kapil Wadhwa Bankrupt Over ₹4546 Crore Debt

The petition was filed by the Union Bank of India before the NCLT, Mumbai Bench-Court III, seeking initiation of bankruptcy proceedings under section 123 of the IBC, 2016. The respondent, Mr. Kapil Wadhawan, acted as the personal guarantor of the DHFL, a corporate debtor that had undergone the corporate insolvency. The petitioner extended various credit facilities to the corporate debtor. The respondent and the other guarantor executed a Joint Deed of Guarantee in favor of the...

NCLAT Judge Recuses From Case Saying He Was Approached By 'Higher Judiciary Member' To Favour A Party

The judicial member of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, Chennai Bench, Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma, recused from hearing an insolvency matter, after observing that he was approached by "one of the most revered members of the higher judiciary" seeking an order favouring a particular party. The August 13 order passed by a bench of judicial member Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma and technical member Jatindranath Swain states:"We are anguished to observe, that one of us, Member...

Employees Can't Be Paid Gratuity Dues In Addition To Payouts Allocated To Them In Resolution Plan: NCLAT

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) New Delhi bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Mr. Barun Mitra (Technical Member) has held that the employees of the corporate debtor cannot be paid gratuity dues in addition to the proposed payouts allocated to them in the Resolution Plan when it is clearly provided in the Resolution Plan. The present appeal has been filed by the Appellants on behalf of employees of the corporate debtor against an order by which the Resolution Plan was...

Once Assignment Of Debt Is Declared Illegal, Assignee Loses Its Rights To File Application U/S 7 Of IBC: NCLAT

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) New Delhi bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Mr. Barun Mitra (Technical Member) has held that when the assignment of debt from the bank to the applicant is found to be illegal and unauthorized, the very basis of filing an application under Section 7 of the IBC is knocked out, and such an applicant cannot be allowed to file the application on the basis of financial creditor's status. These two appeals have been filed against an order...

Mere Rescheduling Of Payment Through New Agreement Does Not Change Repayment Obligations Under Original Agreement: NCLAT

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), New Delhi Bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Mr. Barun Mitra (Technical Member), has held that mere rescheduling of the payment date through an agreement does not alter the repayment obligations under the original Common Loan Agreement, nor does it result in novation. Therefore, an application under Section 7 of the IBC can be filed based on the original agreement. The present appeal has been filed under section 61 of the Insolvency...

Resolution Professional's Failure To Individually Inform Homebuyers About Insolvency Proceedings Goes Against Principles Of IBC: NCLAT

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), New Delhi Bench of Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, Mr. Naresh Salecha (Technical Member) and Mr. Indevar Pandey (Technical Member) has held that the failure of the Resolution Professional to individually inform the homebuyers about the insolvency proceedings as mandated under Regulation 6A of the CIRP Regulations, 2016, so they could file their claims on time, goes against the spirit of the IBC and vitiates the entire proceedings especially ...

Once Claims Are Received By Investors Under Settlement Agreement, They Are Prohibited From Claiming Same Amount Under Resolution Plan: NCLAT

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), New Delhi Bench of Justice Mohd Faiz Alam Khan and Mr. Naresh Salecha (Technical Member), has held that once an investor of the Corporate Debtor has received an amount under the Settlement Agreement and has given an unconditional undertaking to forgo all claims under the Resolution Plan, they are barred from claiming the same amount under the Resolution Plan, as such dual recovery is impermissible. The present appeal has been filed...

Information Utility Record Is Not Mandatory To Prove Debt And Default Under IBC: NCLT Hyderabad

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Hyderabad Bench of Justice Shri. Rajeev Bhardwaj (Hon'ble Member) and Shri. Sanjay Puri - Hon'ble Member Technical has held that proving debt and default through records of default with the information utility is not mandatory. If debt and default are established through other evidence, a petition under Section 7 of the IBC can still be admitted. The present application has been filed under section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016...

[S. 252(3) Of Companies Act] Company Cannot Be Revived In Absence Of Substantial Investment Reflected In Balance Sheet: NCLT Chandigarh

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Chandigarh Bench of Hon'ble Mr. Harnam Singh Thakur (Judicial Member) and Hon'ble Mr.Shishir Agarwal (Technical Member) has held that in the absence of substantial investment reflected in a company's balance sheet, it cannot be revived under Section 252(3) of the Companies Act. The present petition has been filed under Section 252(3) of the Companies Act, seeking to restore the company's name as if it had not been struck off. The Petitioner ...

Once CoC Agrees To Release Personal Guarantees Upon Payment, Invocation Cannot Be Directed By Adjudicating Authority: NCLAT New Delhi

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi, comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan (Chairperson) and Barun Mitra (Member - Technical), has held that if CoC has itself agreed to release the personal guarantees upon completion of payment under the Resolution Plan, no directions can be issued to invoke such guarantees. Brief Background The appeal was filed challenging the observations made in paragraphs 28 & 39 of the order dated 27.03.2025 passed by the...