Skip to main content

Debt policy cannot be changed mid-way

If the defaulting borrowers are given an opportunity to settle the dues according to an existing policy, it can not be changed later to their disadvantage, the Supreme Court ruled in the case, Devidayal Castings Ltd vs Haryana Financial Corporation.

In this case, two borrowing firms did not repay the loans and therefore they were declared non-performing assets. In 2005, the corporation promulgated a policy whereby borrowers were given an option to settle their dues on the basis of the principal amount of the out standing in the loan accounts as on the date on which the accounts were de clared as NPA. The two firms were given the offer and asked to de posit 10 per cent of the dues as precondition for consideration of their cases. The borrowers accepted the offer.

However, in 2015, the corporation changed the policy and according to the new one, where the value of the securities was more than the settlement amount, the corporation should resort to the sale of the secured prop er ties. Thus the applications of the firms invoking the earlier policy were rejected. They moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which dismissed their petitions. On appeal, the Supreme Court over ruled the high court and stated that when the firms have acted on the policy, it could not be departed from. Though nonessential features of a policy could be altered, the core could not be changed. More over, the firms showed the Supreme Court that their RTI in quiries had shown that the corporation had departed from the new policy in the cases of several other firms.

Article referred: https://www.pressreader.com

Comments

Most viewed this month

Court approached in the early stages of arbitration will prevail in all other subsequent proceedings

In National Highway Authority of India v. Hindustan Steelworks Construction Limited, the Hon'ble Delhi High Court opined that once the parties have approached a certain court for relief under Act at earlier stages of disputes then it is same court that, parties must return to for all other subsequent proceedings. Language of Section 42 of Act is categorical and brooks no exception. In fact, the language used has the effect of jurisdiction of all courts since it states that once an application has been made in Part I of the Act then ―that Court alone shall have jurisdiction over arbitral proceedings and all subsequent applications arising out of that agreement and arbitral proceedings shall be made in that Court and in no other Court. Court holds that NHAI in present case cannot take advantage of Section 14 of the Limitation Act, 1963 for explaining inordinate delay in filing present petition under Section 34 of this Act in this Court.

No Rebate For Stamp Duty Paid In Another State - Bombay HC

A three judge bench of the Hon'ble Bombay High Court (Bombay HC) in a recent judgment in the matter of Chief Controlling Revenue Authority, Maharashtra State, Pune and Superintendent of Stamp (Headquarters), Mumbai v Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai and Reliance Petroleum Limited, Gujarat1 has held that orders in case of a scheme of arrangement under Section 391 to 394 of the Companies Act, 1956 (Act) involving different High Courts in multiple states, are separate instruments in themselves. Accordingly, stamp duty would be payable on all the orders (and consequently, all the states) without the benefit of remission, rebate or set-off.

The recovery of vehicles by the financier not an offence - SC

Special Leave Petition (Crl.) No. 8907  of 2009 Anup Sarmah (Petitioner) Vs Bhola Nath Sharma & Ors.(Respondents) The petitioner submitted that  respondents-financer had forcibly taken away the vehicle financed by them and  illegally deprived the petitioner from its lawful possession  and  thus,  committed  a crime. The complaint filed by the petitioner had been  entertained  by  the Judicial Magistrate (Ist Class), Gauhati (Assam) in Complaint Case  No.  608 of 2009, even directing the interim custody of the vehicle (Maruti  Zen)  be given to the petitioner vide order dated  17.3.2009.  The respondent on approaching the Guwahati High  Court against this order, the hon'ble court squashed the criminal  proceedings  pending   before  the  learned Magistrate. After hearing both sides, the Hon'ble Supreme Court decided on 30th...