Tirhut Power Transformer Pvt. Ltd. vs Registrar Of Companies And Anr.

This appeal is filed by the company, M/S Tirhut Power Transformer Private Limited (for brevity the ‘Company’), through its Director, Mr.

Raj Laxmi Singh, under Section 252(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 (for brevity ‘the Act’) against the order of striking off the name of the

company passed by the respondent under section 248 (1) of the Act read with Rule 7 of Companies (Removal of Names of Companies from the

Register of Companies) Rules, 2016 published on 30.06.2017 vide notification no. ROC-DEL/248(5)/STK-7/2879 by Registrar of Companies, the

respondent herein.

The company is incorporated as a Private Limited Company under the provision of Companies Act, 1956 with the Registrar of Companies, NCT of

Delhi and Haryana on 05.11.1996 having CIN U31102DL1996PTC08109.

The company is having registered office at 139-A, Pocket -C, Mayur Vihar-II, New Delhi-110092.

Authorized share capital of the Company is Rs.50,00,000/-divided into 5,00,000 equity shares of Rs.10/- each and issued, subscribed and paid up

share capital of the Company is Rs. 7,99,900/- divided into 79,990 equity shares of Rs.10/- each.

The main objects of the company are:

i. To carry on the business of manufacture, assemble, erect, install, purchase, import-export, equip, sell, trade, fabricate, design, distribute, repair,

maintain, exchange, alter to deal in power, electronic and electrical equipment, transformers stabilizer and electrical meter and repair and servicing of

all types above goods

And other main objects.

As per the notice of non- compliance of provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 in respect to filing of annual returns and financial statements since

incorporation, the name of the company was struck off in terms of provision of Section 248(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 7 and Rule

9 of the Companies (Removal of Names of Companies from the Register of Companies) Rules, 2016.

The Appellant has submitted that the company was in operation and the business activities were carried out by the company during the period of

striking off but the reporting of such activities through Annual Returns and Financial Statement had not been filed with Registrar of Companies due to

inadvertence on part of the management.

The appellants have stated that no notice under section 248(1) of the Act in the form of STK-1 was received by the Company or any of the

directors or any person on their behalf and hence not afforded any opportunity of being heard before striking of the name of the company.

However, without going into the controversy of the latches in following the due procedure of law by Registrar of Companies before the final act of

striking off the name of the company from the register of companies maintained by Registrar of Companies, for non-filing of statutory documents by

company for the relevant period, through publication of notice on 30.06.2017, the appellants have preferred to prove with documents and records that

the company was in operation and doing business during the period of striking off the name of the company as a better remedy.

The Appellant has brought forward the following facts about it being in operation and functional during the period of striking off:

i. The copy of Bank Statement of company issued by Oriental Bank of Commerce, from 02.02.2013 to 15.05.2018, reflecting various transactions

done by the company during the period of striking off and having closing balance of Rs. 36,96,540/-.

ii. The copies of financial statements of the company for the financial years from 31.03.2015 to 31.03.2017. The Balance Sheet as on 31.03.2017

reflects fixed assets of Rs. 46,20,381/- and Profit of Rs. 27,961/-

iii. The company has incurred employee benefit expense of Rs. 1,40,000/- for the financial year ending on 31.03.2017.

iv. The copies of Income Tax Returns filed for the assessment years 2014-15 to 2016-17. The tax paid for assessment year 2016-17 is Rs. 40,000/-

v. The copy of lease deed, dated 08.04.1997 executed by New Okhla Industrial Development Authority as lessee in favour of the appellant company

as lessor for the property situated at 124, Block-D, Phase II, New Okhla Industrial Development Area, Ghaziabad admeasuring about 480 square

meters for the term of ninety years for annual rent of Rs. 7,560/-.

vi. The copy of Rent agreement, dated 23.08.2016 between the appellant company as owner and M/s Ace Environment Friendly Solutions Private

Limited as tenant, of the premises situated at D-124, Basement, Phase-2, Hosiery Complex, Noida, Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P. for the period of eleven

months, having monthly rental of Rs. 40,000/-.

vii. The copy of Rent agreement, dated 16.12.2014 between the appellant company as owner and M/s N Prakash Textiles as tenant of the premises

situated at D-124, Hosiery Complex, Sector-84 A, Noida, Gautam Bud Nagar for the period of twelve months, having monthly rental of Rs. 75,000/-.

viii. The copy of sale deed, dated 31.03.2006 executed by Mr. Angesh Kumar in favour of the appellant company, situated at Plot No. 197, Block -B,

Sector 44, New Okhla Industrial Development Area, Noida, Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P. admeasuring about 448 square meters for total consideration

of Rs. 5,96,000/-, which is reflected in the balance sheet of the year 2016-17.

It is further submitted by the Appellants that the failure to file financial statements and annual returns with the Registrar of Companies, NCT of

Delhi and Haryana was due to inadvertence on part of the management and due to lack of professional guidance and as such there was no wilful or

mala-fide motive behind non-filing of the Financial Statements and Annual returns.

The Registrar of Companies has stated that it has no objection if the name of the Company is restored on proving by the Company that it was

carrying on business or was in operation and the Company be also directed to file financial statements up to date with appropriate filing and additional

fees.

The Income Tax Department has submitted in its report that there is an outstanding demand of Rs. 2800/- for the year 2012-13 and Rs. 8610 for

the year 2016-17 against the Assessee but has no objection if the company is considered for revival.

The Section 252(3) contemplates that one of the three conditions are required to be satisfied before exercising jurisdiction to restore company to its

original name on the register of the Registrar of Companies namely:

i. That the company at the time of its name was struck off was carrying on business.

ii. Or it was in operation

iii. Or it is otherwise just that the name of the company be restored on the register.

The Appellant have submitted sufficient evidence that it has been in operation since incorporation and therefore could not be termed as defunct

company. Thus, taking into consideration the provisions of Section 252(3) of the Companies Act, 2013 which vests this Tribunal with a discretion

where the Company whose name has been struck off and such Company is able to demonstrate that there is a running business as on the date when

the name was struck off and also keeping in consideration that it is just to do so can restore the name of the Company in the Register and in the

interest of all stakeholders including the Appellant itself who seeks restoration of the name of the Company in the register maintained by Registrar of

Companies, the company deserved to be restored.

Accordingly, this appeal is allowed. The Public Notice of Registrar of Companies striking the name of the company is set aside. The restoration of

the company’s name to the Register of Registrar of Companies is ordered subject to its filing of all outstanding documents with proper filing fees

along with additional fees required under law and completion of all formalities, including payment of any late fee or any other charges which are

leviable by the respondent for the late filing of statutory returns, and also subject to payment of cost of Rs. 25,000/- to be paid to Prime Minister’s

Relief Fund. The name of the Appellant Company shall then, as a consequence, stand restored to the Register of the Registrar of Companies, as if the

name of the company had not been struck off in accordance with Section 248(1) of the Companies Act, 2013.

The appeal is disposed of accordingly.

Let the copy of the order be served to the parties.