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Judgment
ORDER
IA-3510/2023:- The present application has been preferred under Section 33(2) of IBC, 2016. Mr. Chaurasia, Ld. Counsel appearing for the Applicant submitted that on 12.05.2023, the CoC passed Resolution with 99.92% vote share that the Corporate Debtor may be liquidated. The relevant excerpt of the Resolution dated 12.05.2023 (ibid) reads thus:
As can be seen from Section 33(2) of IBC, 2016, where the Resolution Professional at any time during the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process but before confirmation of Resolution Plan intimates the Adjudicating Authority of the decisions of the Committee of Creditors (approved by not less than 66% of the voting share) to Liquidate the Corporate Debtor, the Adjudicating Authority shall pass liquidation order as referred to in sub-Clause 1, 2 and 3 of Clause -B of sub-Section (1) of Section 33 of the Code. The Section 33(1 & 2) of IBC, 2016 reads thus:
“33. Initiation of liquidation. –
(1)Where the Adjudicating Authority, -
(a)before the expiry of the insolvency resolution process period or the maximum period permitted for completion of the corporate insolvency resolution process under section 12 or the fast track corporate insolvency resolution process under section 56, as the case may be, does not receive a resolution plan under sub-section (6) of section 30; or
(b)rejects the resolution plan under section 31 for the non-compliance of the requirements specified therein, it shall -
(i)pass an order requiring the corporate debtor to be liquidated in the manner as laid down in this Chapter;
(ii)issue a public announcement stating that the corporate debtor is in liquidation; and
(iii)require such order to be sent to the authority with which the corporate debtor is registered.
(2)Where the resolution professional, at any time during the corporate insolvency resolution process but before confirmation of resolution plan, intimates the Adjudicating Authority of the decision of the committee of creditors 1[approved by not less than sixty-six per cent. of the voting share] to liquidate the corporate debtor, the Adjudicating Authority shall pass a liquidation order as referred to in sub-clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of clause (b) of sub-section (1).
2[Explanation. – For the purpose of this sub-section, it is hereby declared that the committee of creditors may take the decision to liquidate the corporate debtor, any time after its constitution under sub-section (1) of section 21 and before the confirmation of the resolution plan, including at any time before the preparation of the information memorandum.]”
In view of the aforementioned legal provision and Resolution passed by the CoC with 99.92% vote share, we are left with no option but to order Liquidation of the Corporate Debtor. Ordered accordingly.
Accordingly, Mr. Vijender Sharma, having Registration. No: [IBBI/IPA-003/IP-N00003/2016-2017/10022 and E-mail ID: [email protected] is appointed as the Liquidator of the Corporate Debtor to carry out the liquidation process subject to the following terms of the directions inter alia:
The Liquidator shall strictly act in accordance with the provisions of IBC, 2016 (viz. Sections 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 and 41 thereof) and other relevant rules and Regulations including Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2017 as amended from time to time.
The Liquidator shall issue the public announcement that the Corporate Debtor is in liquidation. In relation to officers/ employees and workers of the Corporate Debtor, taking into consideration Section 33(7) of IBC, 2016, this order shall be deemed to be a notice of discharge.
The Liquidator shall investigate the financial affairs of the Corporate Debtor particularly, in relation to preferential transactions/ undervalued transactions and such other like transactions including fraudulent preferences and file a suitable application before this Adjudicating Authority.
The Registry is directed to communicate this order to the Registrar of Companies, having jurisdiction over the Corporate Debtor and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India;
In terms of section 178 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, the Liquidator shall give necessary intimation to the Income Tax Department. In relation to other fiscal and regulatory authorities which govern the Corporate Debtor, the Liquidator shall also duly intimate about the order of liquidation.
The order of Moratorium passed under Section 14 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 shall cease to have its effect and a fresh Moratorium under section 33(5) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code shall commence.
The Liquidator is directed to investigate the financial affairs of the Corporate Debtor in terms of the provisions of Section - 35(1) of IBC, 2016 read with relevant rules and regulations and also file its response for disposal of any pending Company applications during the process of liquidation.
The Liquidator shall submit a Preliminary report to this Tribunal within 75 (seventy-five) days from the liquidation commencement date as per Regulation 13 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2016. Further such other or further reports as are required to be filed under the relevant Regulations, in addition, shall also be duly filed by him with this Adjudicating Authority.
Copy of this order be sent to the financial creditors, Corporate Debtor and the Liquidator for taking necessary steps and for extending the necessary cooperation in relation to the Liquidation process of the Corporate Debtor, viz., company-in-liquidation.
It goes without saying that fee of the Liquidator would be payable in terms of the provisions of Section 34 (9) of the IBC, 2016 read with Regulation 4 of IBBI (Liquidation Process) Regulation 2016.