Kerala High Court Dismisses Appeal Seeking CBI, ED, NIA Probe Into Byju's Insolvency

The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed an appeal against a single judge's order refusing to direct a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into alleged irregularities in the insolvency proceedings of Think and Learn Private Limited (Byju's). A division bench of Justice K Natarajan and Justice Johnson John held that the petitioners had already approached the Bengaluru police on the same allegations. The resulting...

Kerala High Court Dismisses Plea Seeking CBI, ED, NIA Probe Into Alleged Byju's Insolvency Irregularities

The Kerala High Court has recently dismissed a plea seeking a court-monitored investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and National Investigation Agency (NIA) into allegations connected with the corporate insolvency resolution process of Think and Learn Private Limited (BYJU'S). Justice G. Girish observed that the plea was not maintainable because an earlier Public Interest Litigation seeking the same reliefs on the same cause of action had been...

NCLT Cannot Refuse Additional Objections Solely For Want Of Express Provision In IBC: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) can permit additional objections in insolvency proceedings. It cannot reject such requests on the ground that there is no provision under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code or the NCLT Rules to entertain them. Justice Harisankar V. Menon made the observation while allowing a petition filed by BPL Limited. The Court set aside an order of the NCLT, Kochi Bench, which had refused to entertain the company's additional...

Bombay High Court Quashes Awards Against Guarantors Despite IBC Moratorium On Debt

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday held that arbitral awards resulting in enforcement of a debt that has become temporarily unenforceable due to a statutory moratorium run contrary to the fundamental policy of Indian law. The court consequently quashed two awards obtained by Abhyudaya Co-operative Bank against guarantors of insolvency resolution bound Nirmangold Alloys Pvt. Ltd. and Nirmangold Plasttech Pvt Ltd. Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh held that the arbitral tribunal continued proceedings...

Kerala High Court Dismisses Writ Against NCLT New Delhi Insolvency Proceedings, Cites No Jurisdiction

On 25 May, the Kerala High Court held that it cannot entertain a writ petition challenging insolvency proceedings initiated before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), New Delhi, against a personal guarantor merely because the underlying credit facilities were availed in Kerala, since territorial jurisdiction under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code depends on the location of the corporate debtor's registered office. Justice Harisankar V Menon dismissed a writ petition filed by a personal...

Bombay HC Orders Release Of MPID-Attached Property After Approval Of Steel Company's Resolution Plan

The Bombay High Court has held that there could be no impediment to releasing a property attached under the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act after the corporate debtor's resolution plan was approved. The court held that the company was entitled to proceed on a "clean slate" under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). A Division Bench of Justices Manish Pitale and Shreeram V. Shirsat quashed a March 19, 2016 MPID attachment insofar as it related to a property...

Madhya Pradesh High Court Bars Post-Resolution Proceedings Against Corporate Debtor's “New Avatar”

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on 27 May held that once a resolution plan is approved under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, the corporate debtor in its “new avatar” cannot face pre-resolution claims or proceedings that stand extinguished under the approved plan. Justice Jai Kumar Pillai reiterated that the insolvency framework ensures a “clean slate” to the successful resolution applicant and allowed the petition filed by Pushp Ratna Realty Pvt Ltd, whose resolution plan the NCLT,...

IBC Resolution Plan Acceptance Is “Settlement” Under Section 16 Court Fees Act: Delhi High Court

On 1 June, the Delhi High Court held that acceptance of claims under a resolution plan in insolvency proceedings amounts to a “settlement” within the meaning of Section 16 of the Court Fees Act, 1870, thereby entitling a plaintiff to refund of court fee upon withdrawal of the suit. Justice Subramonium Prasad allowed Sainik Industries Pvt. Ltd. to withdraw its recovery suit against Indian Sugar Manufacturing Company Ltd. and directed refund of the entire court fee. He held: “However, the...

Look-Out Circular Cannot Bar Bankrupt Guarantor's Travel For Official Duties: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court on 30 April held that a Look-Out Circular (LOC) cannot operate as an absolute bar on a bankrupt guarantor's overseas travel where such travel is required to discharge professional obligations, and that authorities must balance such restrictions against constitutional protections and employment needs. Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum passed the order while disposing of a writ petition filed by Aditya Arora challenging an LOC issued at the instance of Bank of Baroda. He...

Courts Cannot Touch Merits In Contempt Proceedings: Calcutta High Court Sets Aside NCLT Interim Order

The Calcutta High Court has recently reiterated that a court exercising contempt jurisdiction cannot travel beyond the four corners of the order alleged to have been violated or venture into the merits of the underlying dispute while setting aside part of a National Company Law Tribunal order that had allowed a liquidator to complete the sale of a company's assets. Justice Om Narayan Rai held that while exercising contempt jurisdiction, “the Court must confine itself to the four corners of the...

Bombay High Court Orders Police To Ensure Hotel Horizon Property Handover, Flags Directors' Obstruction

The Bombay High Court recently (May 6) directed police to use reasonable force, if necessary, to ensure complete handover of Hotel Horizon Pvt Ltd's Juhu property to the successful resolution applicant. The court said the suspended directors were continuing to obstruct compliance with orders passed by the National Company Law Tribunal and the High Court.A Bench of Justices Manish Pitale and Shreeram V. Shirsat was hearing a plea by former resolution professional and interim manager Pravin R...

Pending Company Winding-Up Cases Before HC Transferable To NCLT Unless At Irreversible Stage: Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court has held that pending company winding-up petitions before High Courts can be transferred to the National Company Law Tribunal even after admission, a winding-up order, and appointment of an Official Liquidator, so long as the proceedings have not reached an irreversible stage.Relying on Supreme Court rulings on transfer of winding-up proceedings, a Division Bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi observed: “Post admission of a winding up petition,...