CHAPTER VI
PREVENTION OF OPPRESSION AND
MISMANAGEMENT
A.Powers of Court
397.Application
to court for relief in cases of oppression.—(1) Any members of
a company who complain that the affairs of the
company are
being conducted in a manner oppressive to any member or
members (including any one or more of themselves)
may apply
to the Court for an order under this section, provided such
members have a right so to apply in virtue of section
399.
(2) If, on any application under sub-section (1),
the Court is of opinion—
(a) that the company's affairs
are being conducted in a manner oppressive to any member or
members; and
(b) that to wind up the company would
unfairly prejudice such member or members, but that otherwise
the facts would justify the
making of a winding-up order on
the ground that it was just and equitable that the company
should be would up;
the Court may, with a view to
bringing to an end the matters complained of, make such order
as it thinks fit.
398.Application to Court for relief
in cases of mismanagement.— (1) Any members of a company who
complain—
(a) that the affairs of the company are being
conducted in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the
company; or
(b) that a material change (not being a
change brought about by, or in the interests of, any creditors
including debenture holders,
or any class of shareholders,
of the company) has taken place in the management of control
of the company, whether by an
alteration in its Board of
directors, or if its managing agent or secretaries and
treasurers, or in the constitution or control of the
firm
or body corporate acting as its managing agent or secretaries
and treasurers, or in the ownership of the company's
shares,
or if it has no share capital, in its membership,
or in any other manner whatsoever, and that by reason of such
change, it is likely
that the affairs of the company will
be conducted in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the
company;
may apply to the court for an order under
this section, provided such members have a right so to apply
in virtue of section 399.
(2)If, on any application
under sub-section (1), the Court is of opinion that the
affairs of the company are being conducted as
aforesaid or
that by reason of any material change as aforesaid in the
management or control of the company, it is likely that
the
affairs of the company will be conducted as aforesaid,
the court may, with a view to bringing to an end or preventing
the matters
complained of or apprehended, make such order
as it thinks fit.
399.Right to apply under sections 397
and 398.—(1) The following members of a company shall have the
right to apply under
section 397 or 398:—
(a) in the
case of a company having a share capital, not less than one
hundred members of the company or not less than one
tenth
of the total number of its members, whichever is less, or any
member or members holding not less than one-tenth of
the
issued share capital of the company, provided that the
applicant or applicants have paid all calls and other sums due
on their
shares;
(b) in the case of a company not
having a share capital, not less than one-fifth of the total
number of its members.
(2) For the purposes of
sub-section (1), where any share or shares are held by two or
more persons jointly, they shall be
counted only as one
number.
(3) Where any members of a company, are
entitled to make an application in virtue of sub-section (1),
any one or more of them
having obtained the consent in
writing of the rest, may make the application on behalf and
for the benefit of all of them.
(4) The Central
Government may, if in its opinion circumstances exist which
make it just and equitable so to do, authorise any
member
or members of the company to apply to the court under section
397 or 398, notwithstanding that the requirements of
clause
(a) or clause (b), as the case may be of sub-section (1) are
not fulfilled.
(5) The Central Government may, before
authorising any member or members as aforesaid, require such
member or members to
give security for such amount as the
Central Government may deem reasonable, for the payment of any
costs which the Court
dealing with the application may
order such member or members to pay to any other person or
persons who are parties to
the
application.
400.Notice to be given to Central
Government of application under sections 397 and 398.—The
Court shall give notice of every
application made to it
under section 397 or 398 to the Central government, and shall
take into consideration the representations,
if any, made
to it by that Government before passing a final order under
that sections.
401.Right of Central Government to apply
under section 397 and 398.—The Central Government may itself
apply to the Court
for an order under section 397 or 398,
or cause an application to be made to the Court for such an
order by any person
authorised be it in this
behalf.
402.Powers of Court on application under
section 397 or 398.—Without prejudice to the generality of the
powers of the Court
under section 397 or 398, any under
either section may provide for—
(a) the regulation of
the conduct of the company's affairs in future;
(b) the
purchase of the shares or interests of any members of the
company by other members thereof or by the company;
(c)
in the case of a purchase of its shares by the company as
aforesaid, the consequent reduction of its share
capital;
(d) the termination, setting aside or
modification of any agreement, howsoever arrived at, between
the company on the one hand,
and any of the following
persons, on the other namely:—
(i)the managing
director,
(ii) any other director,
(iii) the
managing agent,
(iv) the secretaries and treasurers,
and
(v) the manager,
upon such terms and
conditions as may, in the opinion of the Court, be just and
equitable in all the circumstances of the case;
(e) the
termination, setting aside or modification of any agreement
between the company and any person not referred to in
clause
(d), provided that no such agreement shall be
terminated, set aside or modified except after due notice to
the party concerned
and provided further that no such
agreement shall be modified except after obtaining the consent
of the party concerned;
(f) the setting aside of any
transfer, delivery of goods, payment, execution or other act
relating to property made or done by or
against the company
within three months before the date of the application under
section 397 or 398, which would, if made or
done by or
against an individual, be deemed in his insolvency to be a
fraudulent preference;
(g) any other matter for which
in the opinion of the Court it is just and equitable that
provision should be made.
403.Interim order by
Court.—Pending the making by it of a final order under section
397 or 398, as the case may be, the Court
may, on the
application of any party to the proceedings, make any interim
order which it thinks fit for regulating the conduct of
the
company's affairs, upon such terms and conditions as appear to
it to be just and equitable.
404.Effect of alteration
of memorandum or articles of company by order under section
397 or 398.—(1) Where an order under
section 397 or 398
makes any alteration in the memorandum or articles of a
company, then, notwithstanding any other provision
of this
Act, the company shall not have power, except to the extent,
if any permitted in the order, to make without the leave
of
the Court, any alteration whatsoever which is
inconsistent with the order, either in the memorandum or in
the articles.
(2) Subject to the provisions of
sub-section (1), the alterations made by the order shall, in
all respects, have the same effect as if
they had been duly
made by the company in accordance with the provisions of this
Act; and the said provisions shall apply
accordingly to the
memorandum or articles as so altered.
(3) A certified
copy of every order altering or giving leave to alter, a
company's memorandum or articles, shall within fifteen
days
after the making thereof, be filed by the company with
the Registrar who shall registrar the same.
(4) If
default is made in complying with the provisions of
sub-section (3), the company, and every officer of the company
who is
in default, shall be punishable with fine which may
extend to five thousand rupees.
405.Addition of
respondents to application under section 397 or 398.—If the
managing director or any other director, the
managing
agent, secretaries and treasurers or the manager, of a company
or any other person, who has not been impleaded as
a
respondent to any application under section 397 or 398
applies to be added as a respondent thereto, the Court shall,
it is
satisfied that there is sufficient cause for doing
so, direct that he may be added as a respondent
accordingly.
406.Application of sections 539 to 544 to
proceedings under sections 397 and 398.—In relation to an
application under section
397 or 398, sections 539 to 544,
both inclusive, shall apply in the form set forth in Schedule
XI.
407.Consequences of termination or modification of
certain agreements.—(1) Where an order of a Court made under
section
397 or 398 terminates, sets aside or modifies an
agreement such as is referred to in clause (d) or (e) of
section 402,—
(a) the order shall not give rise to any
claim whatever against the company by any person for damages
or for compensation for
loss of office or in any respect,
either in pursuance of the agreement or otherwise;
(b)
no managing or other director, managing agent, secretaries and
treasurers, or manager whose agreement is so terminated
or
set aside and no person who, at the date of the order
terminating or setting aside the agreement was, or
subsequently becomes,
an associate of such managing agent
or secretariats and treasurers shall, for a period of five
years from the date of the order
terminating the agreement,
without the leave of the Court, be appointed, or act, as the
managing or other director, managing
agent, secretaries and
treasurers, or manager of the company.
(2) (a) Any
person who knowingly acts as a managing or other director,
managing agent, secretaries and treasurers, or manager
of a
company in contravention of clause (b) of sub-section
(1);
(b) where the person so acting as managing agent
or as secretaries and treasurers is a firm or body corporate,
every partner in
the firm, or every director of the body
corporate who is knowingly a party to such contravention;
and
(c) every other director or every director, as the
case may be, of the company, who is knowingly a party to such
contravention;
shall be punishable with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which
may extend to five thousand
rupees, or with
both.
(3) No Court shall grant leave under clause (b)
of sub-section (1) unless notice of the intention to apply for
leave has been
served on the Central Government and that
Government has been given an opportunity of being heard in the
matter.
B.Powers of Central
Government
408.Powers of Government to prevent
oppression or mismanagement.—(1) Notwithstanding anything
contained in this Act, the
Central Government may appoint
not more than two person, being members of the company, to
hold office as directors thereof
for such period, not
exceeding three years on any one occasion, as it may think
fit, if the Central Government, on the application
of not
less than two hundred members of the company or of members of
the company holding not less than one-tenth of the
total
voting power therein, is satisfied, after such
inquiry as it deems fir to make, that it is necessary to make
the appointment or
appointments in order to prevent the
affairs of the company being conducted either in a manner
which is oppressive to any
members of the company or in a
manner which is prejudicial to the interests of the
company:
Provided that in lieu of passing order as
aforesaid, the Central Government may, if the company has not
availed itself of the
option given to it under section 265,
direct the company to amend its articles in the manner
provided in that section and make
fresh appointments of
directors in pursuance of the articles as so amended within
such time as may be specified in that behalf by
the Central
Government.
(2) In case the Central Government passes
an order under the proviso to sub-section (1) it may, if
thinks fit, direct that until new
directors are appointed
in pursuance of the order aforesaid, not more than two members
of the company specified by the
Central Government shall
hold office as additional directors of the company.
(3)
For the purpose of reckoning two-thirds or any other
proportion of the total number of directors of the company,
any
director or directors appointed by the Central
Government under sub-section (1) or (2) shall not be taken
into account.
409.Power of Central Government to
prevent change in Board of directors likely to affect company
prejudicially.—(1) Where a
complaint is made to the Central
Government by the managing director or any other director, the
managing agent, or the
secretaries and treasurers, or a
company that as a result of a change which has taken place or
is likely to take place in ownership
or any shares held in
the company, a change in the Board of directors is likely to
take place which (if allowed) would affect
prejudicially
the affairs of the company, the Central Government may, if
satisfied, after such inquiry as it thinks fit to make that
it
is just and proper to affect a change in the Board of
directors after the date of the complaint shall have effect
unless confirmed by
the Central Government; and any such
order shall have effect notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained in any other
provision of this Act or in
the memorandum or articles of the company, or in any agreement
with, or any resolution passed in
general meeting by, or by
the Board of directors or, the company.
(2) The Central
Government shall have power when any such complaint is
received by it, to make an interim order to the effect
set
out in sub-section (1), before making or completing the
inquiry aforesaid.
(3) Nothing contained in
sub-sections (1) and (2) shall apply to a private company,
unless it is a subsidiary of a public company.
CHAPTER
VII
CONSTITUTION AND POWERS OF ADVISORY
COMMISSION
410.Appointment of Advisory Commission.—For
the purpose of advising the Central Government on the matter
referred to in
clause (a) of section 411, on the
applications referred to in clause (b) of that section and on
such other matters as the Central
Government may think fit,
the Central Government shall—
(a) constitute a
Commission (hereinafter called the "Advisory Commission")
consisting of not more than five persons with
suitable
qualifications; and
(b) appoint one of
those persons to be the Chairman of the
commission.
411.Duties of Advisory Commission.—It shall
be the duty of the Advisory Commission to inquire into and
advise the Central
Government—
(a) before a
notification is issued under section 324 in respect of any
description of industry or business, on the necessity for,
and
advisability of, issuing the notification;
(b) on
all applications made to the Central Government under section
259, 268, 269, 310, 311, 326, 328, 329, 332, 343, 345,
346,
352, 408, or 409; and
(c) on all other matters which
may be referred to the Commission by the Central
Government.
412.Forms and procedure in cases
referred to Advisory Commission.—(1) Every application made to
the Central Government
under any of the sections referred
to in clause (b) of section 411 shall be in such form as may
be prescribed.
(2) (a) Before any application is made
buy a company to the Central Government under any of the
section aforesaid, there shall
be issued by or on behalf of
the company a general notice to the members thereof,
indicating the nature of the application
proposed to be
made.
(b) Such notice shall be published at least once
in a news paper in a principal language of the district in
which the registered
office of the company is situate and
circulating in that district, and at least once in English in
an English newspaper circulating in
that
district.
(c) Copies of the notices, together with a
certificate by the company as to the due publication thereof,
shall be attached to the
application.
(d) Nothing in
clause (a), (b) or (c) shall apply to a private company which
is not the managing agent of a public
company.
413.Powers of Advisory Commission.—For the
purpose of making any inquiry under section 411, the Advisory
Commission
may—
(a) require the production before it
of any books or other documents in the possession, custody or
control of the company and
relating to any matter under
inquiry;
(b) call for any further information or
explanation, if the Commission is of opinion that such
information or explanation is
necessary in order that the
books or other documents produced before it may afford full
particulars of the matter to which they
purport to
relate;
(c) with such assistants as it thinks
necessary, inspect any books or other documents so produced
and make copies thereof or
take extracts
therefrom;
(d) require any managing director or any
other director managing agent, secretaries and treasurers,
manger or other officer of the
company, or any shareholder
or any other person who, in the opinion of the commission, is
likely to furnish information with
respect to the affairs
of the company relating to any matter under inquiry, to appear
before it and examine such person on oath or
require him to
furnish such information as may be required; and administer an
oath accordingly to the person for the
purpose.
414.Penalties.—If any refuses or neglects to
produce any book or other document in his possession or
custody which he is
required to produce under section 413
or to answer any question put to him relating to any matter
under inquiry, he shall be
punishable with imprisonment for
a term which may extend to two years and shall also be liable
to fine.
415.Immunity for action taken in good
faith.—No suit or other legal proceeding shall lie against the
Commission or the Chairman
or any member thereof or against
the Central Government in respect of anything which is in good
faith done or intended to be
done in pursuance of this
Chapter, or of the provisions referred to in section 411, or
of any rules or orders made thereunder.
CHAPTER
VIII
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Contracts where
company is undisclosed principal
416.Contracts by
agents of company in which company is undisclosed
principal.—(1) Every person, being the managing
agent
secretaries and treasurers, manager or other agent of
a public company or of a private company which is a subsidiary
of a public
company, who enters into a contract for or on
behalf of the company in which contract the company is an
undisclosed principal
shall, at the time of entering into
the contract, make a memorandum in writing of the terms of the
contract, and specify therein the
person with whom it is
entered into.
(2) Every such person who enters into a
contract as aforesaid shall forthwith deliver the memorandum
to the company and sent
copies thereof to each of the
directors; and such memorandum shall be filed in the office of
the company and laid before the
Board of directors at its
next meeting.
(3) If default is made in complying with
the requirements of this section,—
(a) the contract
shall, at the option of the company, be voidable as against
the company; and
(b) the person who enters into the
contract, or every officer of the company who is in default,
as the case may be, shall be
punishable with fine which may
extend to two hundred rupees.
Employees' securities and
provident funds
417.Employees securities to be
deposited in Scheduled Bank.—(1) All moneys or securities
deposited with a company by its
employees in pursuance of
there contracts of service with the company shall be kept or
deposited by the company in a special
account to be opened
by the company for the purpose in a Scheduled Bank.
(2)
No portion of such moneys or securities shall be utilised by
the company except for the purposes agreed to in the
contracts
of service.
(3) A receipt for moneys
deposited with a company by its employee shall not be deemed
to be a security within the meaning of
this section; and
the moneys themselves shall accordingly be deposited with a
Scheduled Bank as provided in sub-section
(1).
418.Provisions applicable to provident funds of
employees.—(1) Where a provident fund has been constituted by
a company
for its employees or any class of its employees,
all moneys contributed to such fund (whether by the company or
by the
employees) or accruing by way of interest or
otherwise to such fund, shall be either deposited in a Post
Office Savings Bank
account or invested in the securities
mentioned or referred to in clauses (a) to (e) of section 20
of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 (2
of 1882):
Provided
that where one-tenth part of the whole amount of the moneys
belonging to such fund exceeds the maximum amount
which may
be deposited in a Post Office Savings Bank account under the
rules regulating such deposits for the time being in
force
the amount of such excess may be kept or deposited in a
special account to be opened for the purpose in a
Scheduled
Bank.
(2)Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary in the rules of any provident fund to which
sub-section (1) applies or in any contract
between a
company and its employees, no employee shall be entitled to
revive, in respect of such portion of the amount to
his
credit in such fund as is invested in accordance with
the provisions of sub-section (1), interest at a rate
exceeding the rate of
interest yielded by such
investment.
(3) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall affect
any rights of an employee under the rules of a provident fund
to obtain advances from
or to withdraw money standing to
his credit in the fund, where the fund is a recognised
provident fund within the meaning of
clause (a) of section
58A of the Indian Income-tax Act, 1922 (11 of 1922), or where
the rules of the fund contain provisions
corresponding to
rules 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the Indian Income-tax (Provident
Funds Relief) Rules.
(4) where a separate trust has
been created by a company with respect to any provident fund
referred to in sub-section (1), the
company shall be bound
to collect the contributions of the employees concerned any
pay such contributions as well as its own
contributions, if
any to the trustees; but in other respects, the obligations
laid on the company by this section shall devolve on
the
trustee and shall be discharged by them instead of by
the company.
419.Right of employee to see banks receipt
for moneys or securities referred to in section 417 or 418.—An
employee shall be
entitled, on request made in this behalf
to the company, or to the trustee referred to in sub-section
(4) of section 418, as the case
may be, to see the bank's
receipt for any money or security such as is referred to in
sections 417 and 418.
420.Penalty for contravention of
sections 417, 418 and 419.—Any officer of a company, or any
such trustee of a provident fund
as is referred to in
sub-section (4) of section 418 who, knowingly contravenes, or
authorises or permits the contravention of, the
provisions
of section 417, 418 or 419 shall be punishable with fine which
may extend to five hundred rupees.
Receivers and
Managers
421.Filing of accounts of receivers.—Every
receiver of the property of a company who has been appointed
under a power
conferred by any instrument and who has taken
possession, shall one in every half year while he remains in
possession, and also
on ceasing to act as receiver, file
with the Registrar an abstract in the prescribed form of his
receipts and payments during the
period to which the
abstract relates.
422.Invoices, etc., to refer to
receiver where there is one.—Where a receiver of the property
of a company has been appointed,
every invoice, order for
goods, or business letter issued by or on behalf of the
company, or the receiver of the company, being a
document
or in which the name of the company appears, shall contain a
statement that a receiver has been
appointed.
423.Penalty for non-compliance with sections
421 and 422.—If default is made in complying with the
requirements of section
421 or 422, the company, and every
officer of the company who is in default, shall be punishable
with fine which may extend to
two hundred
rupees.
For the purposes of this section, the receiver
shall be deemed to be an officer of the
company.
424.Application of sections 421 to 423 to
receivers and managers appointed by Court and managers
appointed in pursuance of
an instrument.—The provisions of
sections 421, 422 and 423 shall apply to the receiver of, or
any person appointed to manage,
the property of a company,
appointed by a Court or to any person appointed to manage the
property of a company under any
powers contained in an
instrument, in like manner as they apply to a receiver
appointed under any powers contained in
an
instrument.
PART VII
WINDING
UP
CHAPTER I.—PRELIMINARY
Modes of winding
up
425.Modes of winding up.—(1) The winding up of a
company may be either—
(a) by the Court; or
(b)
voluntary; or
(c) subject to the supervision of the
court.
(2) The provisions of this Act with respect to
winding up apply, unless the contrary appears, to the winding
up of a company in
any of those
modes.Contributories
426.Liability as contributories of
present and past members.—(1) In the event of a company being
wound up, every present and
past member shall be liable to
contribute to the assets of the company to an amount
sufficient for payment of its debts and
liabilities and the
costs, charges and expenses of the winding up, and for the
adjustment of the rights of the contributories
among
themselves, subject to the provisions of section 427
and subject also to the following qualifications,
namely:—
(a) a past member shall not be liable to
contribute if he has ceased to be a member for one year or
upwards before the
commencement of the winding
up;
(b) a past member shall not be a liable to
contribute in respect of any debt or liability of the company
contracted after he ceased
to be a member;
(c) no
past member shall be liable to contribute unless it appears to
the Court that the present members are unable to satisfy
the
contributions required to be made by them in pursuance
of this Act;
(d) in the case of a company limited by
shares, no contribution shall be required from any past or
present member exceeding the
amount if any, unpaid on the
shares in respect of which he is liable as such
member;
(e) in the case of company limited by guarantee
no contribution shall, subjects to the provisions of
sub-section (2), be required
from any past or present
member exceeding the amount undertaken to be contributed by
him to the assets of the company in the
event of its been
wound up;
(f) nothing in this Act shall invalidate any
provision contained in any policy of insurance or other
contract whereby the liability of
individual members on the
policy or contract is restricted, or whereby the funds of the
company are alone made liable in respect
of the policy or
contract;
(g)a sum due to any past or present member of
the company in his character as such, by way of dividends,
profits or otherwise,
shall not be deemed to be a debt of
the company payable to that member, in a case of competition
between himself and any
other creditor who is not a past or
present member of the company; but any such sum shall be taken
into account for the purport
of the final adjustment of the
rights of the contributories among themselves.
(2) In
the winding up of a company limited by guarantee which has a
share capital, every member of the company shall be
liable,
in addition to the amount undertaken to be
contributed by him to the assets of the company in the event
of its being would up, to
contribute to the extent of any
sums unpaid on any shares held by him as if the company were a
company limited by shares,
427.Obligations of
directors, managing agents and managers whose liability is
unlimited.—In the winding up of a limited
company, any
director, managing agent, secretaries and treasurers or
manager, whether past or present, whose liability is,
under
the provisions of this Act, unlimited shall, in
addition to his liability, if any, to contribute as an
ordinary member, be liable to make
a further contribution
as if he were, at the commencement of the winding up, a member
of an unlimited company:
Provided that—
(a) a
past director, managing agent, secretaries and treasurers or
manager shall not be liable to make such further contribution,
if
he has ceased to hold office for a year or upwards
before the commencement of the winding up;
(b) a past
director, managing agent, secretaries and treasurers or
manager shall not be liable to make such further contribution
in
respect of any debt or liability of the company
contracted after he ceased to hold office;
(c) subject
to the articles of the company, a director managing agent,
secretaries and treasurers or manager shall not be liable
to
make such further contribution, unless the Court deems
it necessary to require the contribution in order to satisfy
the debts and
liabilities of the company, and the costs,
charges and expenses of the winding up.
428.Definition
of contributory.—The term "contributory" means every person l
liable to contribute to the assets of a company in
the
event of its being wound up and includes the holder of any
shares which are fully paid up; and for the purposes of
all
proceedings for determining, and all proceedings prior
to the final determination of, the persons who are to be
deemed
contributories, includes any person alleged to be a
contributory.
429.Nature of liability of
contributory.—(1) The liability of a contributory shall create
a debt accruing due from him at the time
when his liability
commenced, but payable at the times specified in calls made on
him for enforcing the liability.
(2) No claim founded
on the liability of a contributory shall be cognizable by any
court of small causes sitting outside
the
presidency-towns.
430.Contributories in case of
death of member.—(1) If a contributory dies either before or
after he has been placed on the list of
contributories, his
legal representatives shall be liable in a due course of
administration, to contribute to the assets of the
company
in discharge of his liability, and shall be
contributories accordingly.
(2) If the legal
representatives make default in paying any money ordered to be
paid by them, proceedings may be taken for
administering
the estate of the deceased contributory and compelling payment
thereout of the money due.
(3) For the purposes of this
section, where the deceased contributory was a member of a
Hindu joint family governed by the
Mitakshara School of
Hindu Law, his legal representatives shall be deemed to
include the surviving coparceners.
431.Contributories
in case of insolvency of member.—If a contributory is adjudged
insolvent, either before or after he has been
placed on the
list of contributories,—
(a) his assignees in
insolvency shall represent him for all the purposes of the
winding up, and shall be contributories accordingly,
and
may be called on to admit to proof against the estate of the
insolvent, or otherwise to allow to be paid out of his assets
in
due course of law, any money due from the insolvent in
respect of his liability to contribute to the assets of the
company; and
(b) there may be proved against the estate
of the insolvent the estimated value of his liability to
future calls as well as calls
already
made.
432.Contributories in case of winding
up of a body corporate which is a member.—If a body corporate
which is a contributory
is ordered to be wound up, either
before or after it has been placed on the list of
contributories,—
(a) the liquidator of the body
corporate shall represent it for all the purposes of the
winding up of the company and shall be a
contributory
accordingly, and may be called on to admit to proof against
the assets of the body corporate, or otherwise to allow
to
be paid out of its assets in due course of law, any money due
from the body corporate, in respect of its liability to
contribute
to the assets of the company; and
(b)
there may be proved against the assets of the body corporate
the estimated value of its liability to future calls as well
as calls
already made.
CHAPTER II.—WINDING UP BY THE
COURT
Cases in which company may be wound up by the
Court
433.Circumstances in which company may be wound
up by Court.—A company may be wound up by the
Court,—
(a) if the company has, by special resolution,
resolved that the company be wound up by the Court;
(b)
if default is made in delivering the statutory report to the
Registrar or on holding the statutory meeting;
(c) if
the company does not commence its business within a year from
its incorporation, or suspends its business for a
whole
year;
(d) if the number of members is reduced,
in the case of a public company, below seven, and in the case
of a private company,
below two;
(e) if the company
is unable to pay its debts;
(f) if the Court is of
opinion that it is just and equitable that the company should
be wound up.
434.Company when deemed unable to pay its
debts.—(1) A company shall be deemed to be unable to pay its
debts—
(a) if a creditor, by assignment or otherwise,
to whom the company is indebted in a sum exceeding five
hundred rupees then due,
has served on the company, by
causing it to be delivered at its registered office, by
registered post or otherwise, a demand under
his hand
requiring the company to pay the sum so due and the company
has for three weeks thereafter neglected to pay the sum,
or
to secure or compound for it to the reasonable satisfaction of
the creditor;
(b) if execution or other process issued
on a decree or order of any Court in favour of a creditor in
favour of a creditor of the
company is returned unsatisfied
in whole or in part; or
(c) if it is proved to the
satisfaction of the Court that the company is unable to pay
its debts, and, in determining whether a
company is unable
to pay its debts, the Court shall take into account the
contingent and prospective liabilities of the
company.
(2) The deemed referred to in clause (a) of
sub-section (1) shall be deemed to have been duly given under
the hand of the
creditor if it is signed by any agent or
legal advisor duly authorised on his behalf, or in the case of
a firm, if it is signed by any such
agent or legal adviser
or by any member of the firm.
Transfer of
proceedings435.Transfer of winding up proceedings to District
Court.—Where a High Court makes an order for winding up a
company
under this Act, the High Court may, if it thinks
fit, direct all subsequent proceedings to be had in a District
Court subordinate
thereto or, with the consent of any other
High Court, in such High Court or in a District Court
subordinate thereto; and
thereupon for the purposes of
winding up the company, the court in respect of which such
direction is given shall be deemed to
be "the Court" within
the meaning of this Act, and shall have all the jurisdiction
and powers of a High Court under this
Act.
436.Withdrawal and transfer of winding up from one
District Court to another.—If during the progress of a winding
up in a
District Court, it appears to the High Court that
the same could be more conveniently proceeded with in the High
Court or in any
other District Court, the High Court may,
as the case may require,—
(a) withdraw the case and
proceed with the winding up itself; or
(b) transfer the
case to such other District Court, whereupon the winding up
shall proceed in that District Court.
437.Power of High
Court to retain winding up proceedings in District Court.— The
High Court may direct that a District Court
in which
Proceedings for winding up a company have been commenced,
shall retain and continue the proceedings, although it
may
not be the Court in which they ought to have been
commenced.
438.Jurisdiction of High Court under
sections 435, 436 and 437 to be exercised at any time and at
any state.—The High Court
shall have jurisdiction to pass
orders under section 435, 436 and 437 at any time and at any
stage and either on the application
of, or without
application from, any of the parties to the
proceedings.
Petition for winding
up
439.Provisions as to applications for winding
up.—(1) An application to the Court for the winding up of a
company shall be by
petition presented, subject to the
provisions of this section,—
(a) by the company;
or
(b) by any creditor or creditors, including any
contingent or prospective creditor or creditors; or
(c)
by any contributory or contributories; or
(d) by all or
any of the parties specified in clauses (a), (b) and (c),
whether together or separately; or
(e) by the
Registrar; or
(f) in a case falling under section 243,
by any person authorised by the Central Government in that
behalf.
(2) A secured creditor, the holder of any
debentures (including debenture stock), whether or not any
trustee or trustees have
been appointed in respect of such
and other like debentures, and the trustee for the holders of
debentures shall be deemed to be
creditors within the
meaning of clause (b) of sub-section (1).
(3) A
contributory shall be entitled to present a petition for
winging up a company, notwithstanding that he may be the
holder of
fully paid-up shares, or that the company may
have no assets at all, or may have no surplus assets left for
distribution among the
shareholders after the satisfaction
of its liabilities.
(4) A contributory shall not be
entitled to present a petition for winding up a company
unless—
(a) either the number of members is reduced, in
the case of a public company, below seven and in the case of a
private
company, below two; or
(b) the shares in
respect of which he is a contributory, or some of them, either
were originally allotted to him or have been held
by him,
and registered in his name, for at least six months during the
eighteen months immediately before the commencement of
the
winding up, or have devoted on him through the death of a
former holder.
(5) Except in the case where he is
authorised in pursuance of clause (f) of sub-section (1), the
Registrar shall be entitled to
present a petition for
winding up a company only on the ground specified in clauses
(b), (c) and (e) of section 433;
Provided that the
Registrar shall not present a petition on the ground specified
in clause (e) aforesaid, unless it appears to him
either
from the financial condition of the company as disclosed in
its balance-sheet or from the report of an inspector
appointed
under section 235, 237 that the company is unable
to pay its debts;
Provided that the Registrar shall
obtain the previous sanction of the Central Government to the
presentation of the petition on any
of the grounds
aforesaid.
(6) The Central Government shall not accord
its sanction in pursuance of the foregoing proviso, unless the
company, has first
been afforded an opportunity of making
its representations, if any.
(7) A petition for winding
up a company on the ground specified in clause (b) of section
433 shall not be presented—
(a) except by the Registrar
or by a contributory; or
(b) before the expiration of
fourteen days after the last day on which the statutory
meeting referred to in clause (b) aforesaid
ought to have
been held.
(8) Before a petition for winding up a
company presented by a contingent or prospective creditor is
admitted, the leave of the
Court shall be obtained for the
admission of the petition and such leave shall not be
granted—
(a) unless, in the opinion of the Court, there
is a prima facie for winding up the company; and
(b)
until such security for costs has been given as the court
thinks reasonable.
440.Right to present winding up
petition where company is being wound up voluntarily or
subject to Courts supervision.—(1)
Where a company is being
wound up voluntarily or subject to the supervision of the
Court, a petition for its winding up by the
Court may be
presented by—
(a) any person authorised to do so under
section 439; and
(b) the Official
Liquidator.
(2) The Court shall not make a winding up
order on a petition presented to it under sub-section (1)
unless it is satisfied that the
voluntary winding up or
winding up subject to the supervision of the Court cannot be
continued with due regard to the interests
of the creditors
or contributories or both.
Commencement of winding
up
441.Commencement of winding up by Court.—(1) Where,
before the presentation of a petition for the winding up of a
company
by the Court, a resolution has been passed by the
company for voluntary winding up, the winding up of the
company shall be
deemed to have commenced at the time of
the passing of the resolution, and unless the court, on proof
of fraud or mistake,
thinks fit it direct otherwise, all
proceedings taken in the voluntary winding up shall be deemed
to have been validly taken.
(2) In any other case, the
winding up of a company by the Court shall be deemed to
commence at the time of the presentation of
the petition
for the winding up.
Powers of Court
442.Power of
Court to stay or restrain proceedings against company.—At any
time after the presentation of a winding up
petition and
before a winding up order has been made, the company, or any
creditor or contributory, may—
(a) where any suit or
proceeding against the company is pending in the Supreme court
or in any High Court, apply to the Court
in which the suit
or proceeding is pending for a stay of proceedings therein;
and
(b) where any suit or proceeding is pending against
the company in any other Court, apply to the Court having
jurisdiction to
wind up the company, to restrain further
proceedings in the suit or proceedings;
and the Court
to which application is so made may stay or restrain the
proceedings accordingly, on such terms as it thinks
fit.
443.Powers of Court on hearing petition.—(1) On
hearing a winding up petition, the Court may—
(a)
dismiss it, with or without costs; or
(b) adjourn the
hearing conditionally or unconditionally; or
(c) make
any interim order that it thinks fit; or
(d) make an
order for winding up the company with or without costs, or any
other order that it thinks fit;
Provides that the Court
shall not refuse to make a winding up order on the ground only
that the assets of the company have been
mortgaged to an
amount equal to or in excess of those assets, or that the
company has not assets.
(2) Where the petition is
presented on the ground that it is just and equitable that the
company should be wound up, the Court
may refuse top make
an order of winding up, if it is of opinion that some other
remedy is available to the petitioners and that they
are
acting unreasonably in seeking to have the company wound up
instead of pursuing that other remedy.
(3) Where the
petition is presented on the ground of default in delivering
the statutory report to the Registrar, or in holding
the
statutory meeting, the Court may—
(a) instead of
making a winding up order, direct that the statutory report
shall be delivered or the a meeting shall be held;
and
(b) order the costs to be paid by any persons who,
in the opinion of the Court are responsible for the
default.
Consequences of winding up
order
444.Order for winding up to be communicated to
Official Liquidator.— Where the Court makes an order for the
winding up of
a company, the Court shall forthwith cause
intimation thereof to be sent to the Official
Liquidator.
445.Copy of winding up order to be filed
with Registrar.—(1) On the making of a winding up order, it
shall be the duty of the
petitioner in the winding up
proceedings and of the company to file with the Registrar a
certified copy of the order, within one
month from the date
of the making of the order.
If default is made in
complying with the foregoing provision, the petitioner, or as
the case may require, the company, and every
officer of the
company who is in default, shall be punishable with fine which
may extend to one hundred rupees for each day
during which
the default continues,
(2) On the filing of a certified
copy of the winding up order, the Registrar shall make a
minute thereof in his books relating to the
company, and
shall notify in the Official Gazette that such an order has
been made.
(3) Such order shall be deemed to be notice
of discharge to the officers and employees of the company,
except when the
business of the company is
continued.
446.Suits stayed on winding up order.—(1)
When a winding up order has been made or the Official
Liquidator has been
appointed as provisional liquidator, no
suit or other legal proceeding shall be commenced, or if
pending at the date of the winding
up order, shall be
proceed with, against the company, except by leave of the
Court and subject to such terms as the Court
may
impose.
(2) The Court which is winding up the
company shall, notwithstanding anything contained in any other
law for the time being in
force, have jurisdiction to
entertain, or dispose of, any suit or proceeding by or against
the company.
(3) Any suit or proceeding by or against
the company which is pending in any court other than that in
which the winding up of the
company is proceeding may,
notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the
time being in force, be transferred to
and disposed of by
that Court.
447.Effect of winding up order.—An order
for winding up a company shall operate in favour of all the
creditors and of all the
contributories of the company as
if it had been made on the joint petition of a creditor and of
a contributory.
Official Liquidators448.Appointment of
Official Liquidator.—(1) For the purposes of this Act, so far
as it relates to the winding up of companies by
the
Court,—
(a) there shall be attached to each High Court,
an Official Liquidator appointed by the Central Government,
who shall be a
whole-tine officer, unless the Central
Government considers that there will not be sufficient work
for a whole-time officer in
which case a part-time officer
may be appointed; and
(b) the Official Receiver
attached to a District Court for insolvency purposes, or if
there is no such Official Receiver, then, such
person as
the Central Government may, by notification in the Official
Gazette appoint for the purpose, shall be the
Official
Liquidator attached to the District Court.
(2)
All references to the "Official Liquidator" in this Act shall
be construed as references to the Official Liquidator referred
to in
clause (a) or clause (b), as the case may be, of
sub-section (1).
449.Official Liquidator to be
liquidator.—On a winding up order being made in respect of a
company, the Official Liquidator
shall, by virtue of his
office, become the liquidator of the
company.
450.Appointment and powers of provisional
liquidator.—(1) At any time after the presentation of a
winding up petition and
before the making of a winding up
order, the Court, may appoint the Official Liquidator to be
liquidator provisionally.
(2) Before appointing a
provisional liquidator, the Court shall give notice to the
company and give a reasonable opportunity to it
make its
representations, if any, unless, for special reasons to be
recorded in writing, the Court thinks fit to dispense with
such
notice.
(3) Where a provisional liquidator is
appointed by the Court, the Court may limit and restrict his
powers by the order appointing
him or by a subsequent
order; but otherwise he shall have the same powers as a
liquidator.
(4) The Official Liquidator shall cease to
hold office as provisional liquidator, and shall become the
liquidator, of the company,
on a winding up order being
made.
451.General provisions as to liquidators.—(1) The
liquidator shall conduct the proceedings in winding up the
company and
perform such duties in reference thereto as the
Court may impose.
(2) Where the Official Liquidator
becomes or acts as liquidator, there shall be paid to the
Central Government out of the assets
of the company such
fees as may be prescribed.
(3) The acts of a liquidator
shall be valid, notwithstanding any defect that may afterwards
be discovered in his appointment
or
qualification:
Provided that nothing in this
sub-section shall be deemed to give validity to acts done by a
liquidator after his appointment has
been shown to be
invalid.
452.Style, etc., of liquidator.— A liquidator
shall be described by the style of "The Official Liquidator"
of the particular company
in respect of which he acts, and
not by his individual name.
453.Receiver not to be
appointed of assets with liquidator.— A receiver shall not be
appointed of assets in the hands of a
liquidator except by,
or with the leave of, the Court.
454.Statement of
affairs to be made to Official Liquidator.— (1) Where the
Court has made a winding up order or appointed
the Official
Liquidator as provisional liquidator, unless the Court in its
discretion otherwise orders, there shall be made out
and
submitted to the Official Liquidator a statement as to
the affairs of the company in the prescribed form, verified by
an affidavit,
and containing the following particulars,
namely:—
(a) the assets of the company, stating
separately the cash balance in hand at the bank, if any, and
the negotiable securities, if any,
held by the
company;
(b) its debts and liabilities;
(c) the
names, residences and occupations of its creditors, stating
separately the amount of secured and unsecured debts; and
in
the case of secured debts, particulars of the securities
given, whether by the company or an officer thereof, their
value and the
dates on which they were given;
(d)
the debts due to the company and the names, residences and
occupations of the persons from whom they are due and
the
amount likely to be realised on account
thereof;
(e) such further or other information as may
be prescribed, or as the Official Liquidator may
require.
(2) The statement shall be submitted and
verified by one or more of the persons who are at the relevant
date the directors and by
the person who is at that date
the manager, secretary or other chief officer of the company,
or by such of the persons hereinafter
in this sub-section
mentioned, as the Official Liquidator, subject to the
direction of the Court, may require to submit and very
the
statement, that is to say, persons—
(a) whoa re
or have been officers of the company;
(b) who have
taken part in the formation of the company at any time within
one year before the relevant date;
(c) who are in the
employment of the company, or have been in the employment of
the company within the said year and are, in
the opinion of
the Official Liquidator, capable of giving the information
required;
(d) who are or have been within the said year
officers of, or in the employment of, a company which is, or
within the said year
was, an officer of the company to
which the statement relates.
(3) The statement shall be
submitted within twenty-one days from the relevant date, or
within such extended time not exceeding
three months from
that date as the Official Liquidator or of the Court may, for
special reasons, appoint.
(4) Any person making, or
occurring in making the statement and affidavit required by
this section shall be allowed, and shall be
paid by the
Official Liquidator or provisional liquidator, as the case may
be, out of the assets of the company, such costs
and
expenses incurred in and about the preparation and
making of the statement and affidavit as the Official
Liquidator may consider
reasonable, subject to an appeal to
the Court.
(5) If any person, without reasonable
excuse, makes, default in complying with any of the
requirements of this section, he shall be
punishable with
fine which may extend to one hundred rupees for every day
during which the default continues.
(6) Any person
stating himself in writing to be a creditor or contributory of
the company shall be entitled, by himself or by his
agent,
at all reasonable times, on payment of the prescribed fees, to
inspect the statement submitted in pursuance of this
section,
and to a copy thereof or extract
therefrom.
(7) Any person untruthfully so stating
himself to be a creditor or contributory shall be guilty of an
offence under section 182 of
the Indian Penal Code (Act 45
of 1860); and shall, on the application of the Official
Liquidator, be punishable accordingly.
(8) In this
section, the expression "the relevant date" means, in a case
where a provisional liquidator is appointed, the date of
his
appointment, and in a case where no such appointment is
made, the date of winding up order.
455.Report by
Official Liquidator.—(1) In a case where a winding up order is
made, the Official Liquidator shall, as soon as
practicable
after receipt of the statement to be submitted under section
454 and not later than six months from the date of
the
order, or in a case where the Court orders that no
statement need be submitted, as soon as practicable after the
date of the
order, submit a preliminary report to the
Court—
(a) to the amount of capital issued, subscribed,
and said up, and the estimated amount of assets and
liabilities, giving separately,
under the heading of
assets, particulars of (i) cash and negotiable securities;
(ii) debts due from contributories; (iii) debts due to
the
company and securities, if any, available in respect thereof;
(iv) movable and immovable properties belonging to
the
company; and (v) unpaid calls;
(b) if the
company has failed, as to the causes of the failure;
and
(c) whether, in his opinion, further inquiry
is desirable as to any matter relating to the promotion,
formation, or failure of the
company, or the conduct of the
business thereof.
(2) The Official Liquidator may also,
if he thinks fit, make a further report, or further reports,
stating the manner in which the
company was promoted or
formed and whether in his opinion and fraud has been committed
by any person in its promotion or
formation, or by any
officer of the company in relation to the company since the
formation thereof, and any other matters which,
in his
opinion, it is desirable to bring to the notice of the
Court.
(3) If the Official Liquidator states in any
such further report that in his opinion a fraud has been
committed as aforesaid, the
Court shall have the further
powers provided in section 478.
456.Custody of companys
property.— (1) Where a winding up order has been made or where
a provisional liquidator has been
appointed, the liquidator
shall take into his custody or under his control, all the
property effects and actionable claims to which
the company
is or appears to be entitled.
(2)All the property and
effects of the company shall be deemed to be in the custody of
the Court as from the date of the order
for the winding up
of the company.
457.Powers of liquidator.— (1) The
liquidator in a winding up by the Court shall have power, with
the sanction of the Court,—
(a) to institute or defend
any suit, prosecution, or other legal proceeding, civil or
criminal in the name and on behalf of
the
company;
(b) to carry on the business of the
company so far as may be necessary for the beneficial winding
up of the company.
(c) to sell the immovable and
movable property and actionable claims of the company by
public auction or private contract, with
power to transfer
the whole thereof to any person or body corporate, or to sell
the same in parcels;
(d) to raise on the security of
the assets of the company any money requisite;
(e) to
do all such other things as may be necessary for winding up
the affairs of the company and distributing its
assets.
(2) The liquidator in a winding up by the Court
shall have power—
(i) to do all acts and to execute, in
the name and on behalf of the company, all deeds, receipts,
and other documents, and for that
purpose to use, when
necessary, the company's seal;
(ii) to prove, rank and
claim in the insolvency of any contributory, for any balance
against his estate, and to receive dividends in
the
insolvency, in respect of that balance, as a separate debt due
from the insolvent, and rateably with the other
separate
creditors;
(iii) to draw, accept, make and
endorse any bill of exchange, hundi or promissory note in the
name and on behalf of the
company, with the same effect
with respect to the liability of the company as if the bill,
hundi, or note had been drawn, accepted,
made or indorsed
by or on behalf of the company in the course of its
business;
(iv) to take out, in his official name,
letters of administration to any deceased contributory, and to
do in his official name any other
act necessary for
obtaining payment of any money due from a contributory or his
estate which cannot be conveniently done in the
name of the
company, and in all such cases, the money due shall, for the
purpose of enabling the liquidator to take out the
letters
of administration or recover the money, be deemed
to be due to the liquidator himself;
Provided that
nothing herein empowered shall be deemed to affect the rights,
duties and privileges of any Administrator General;
(v)
to appoint an agent to do any business in which the liquidator
is unable to do himself.
(3) The exercise by the
liquidator in a winding up by the Court of the powers
conferred by this section shall be subject to the
control
of the Court; and any creditor or contributory may apply to
the Court with respect to the exercise or proposed
exercise
of any of the powers conferred by this
section.
458.Discretion of liquidator.— The Court may,
by order, provide that the liquidator may exercise any of the
powers referred to
in sub-section (1) of section 457
without sanction or intervention of the Court;
Provided
always that the exercise by the liquidator of such powers
shall be subject to the control of the
Court.
459.Provision for legal assistance to
liquidator.— The liquidator may, with the sanction of the
Court, appoint an advocate,
attorney or pleader entitled to
appear before the Court to assist him in the performance of
his duties.
460.Exercise and control of liquidators
powers.— (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the
liquidator shall, in the
administration of the assets of
the company and the distribution thereof among its creditors,
have regard to any directions which
may be given by
resolution of the creditors or contributories at any general
meeting or by the committee of inspection.
(2) Any
directions given by the creditors or contributories at any
general meeting shall, in case of conflict, be deemed to
override
any directions given by the committee of
inspection.
(3) The liquidator—
(a) may summon
general meetings of the creditors or contributories, whenever
he thinks fit, for the purposes of ascertaining
their
wishes;
(b) shall summon such meetings at such
times as the creditors or contributories, as the case may be,
may, by resolution, direct, or
whenever requested in
writing to do so by not less than one-tenth in value of the
creditors or contributories, as the case may be.
(4)
The liquidator may apply to the Court in the manner
prescribed, if any, for directions in relation to any
particular matter
arising in the winding up.
(5)
Subject to the provisions of this Act, the liquidator shall
use his own discretion in the administration of the assets of
the
company and the distribution thereof among the
creditors.
(6) Any person aggrieved by any act or
decision of the liquidator may apply to the Court, and the
Court may confirm, reverse or
modify the act or decision
complained of, and make such further order as it thinks just
in the circumstances.
461.Books to be kept by
liquidator.—(1) The liquidator shall keep, in the manner
prescribed, proper books in which he shall
cause entries or
minutes to be made of proceedings at meetings and of such
other matters as may be prescribed.
(2) Any creditor or
contributory may, subject to the control of the Court, inspect
any such books, personally or by his agent.
462.Audit
of liquidators accounts.—(1) The liquidator, shall, at such
times as may be prescribed but not less than twice in
each
year during his tenure of office, present to the Court
an account of his receipts and payments as
liquidator.
(2) The account shall be in the prescribed
form, shall be made in duplicate, and shall be verified by a
declaration in the
prescribed form.
(3) The Court
shall cause the account to be audited in such manner as it
thinks fit; and for the purpose of the audit, the
liquidator
shall furnish the Court with such vouchers and
information as the Court may require and the Court may, at any
time, require the
production of, and inspect, any books or
accounts kept by the liquidator.
(4) When the account
has been audited, one copy thereof shall be filed and kept by
the Court, and the other copy shall be
delivered to the
Registrar for filing; and each copy shall be open to the
inspection of any creditor, contributory or
person
interested.
(5) The liquidator shall cause
the account when audited or a summary thereof to be printed,
and shall send a printed copy of the
account or summary by
post to every creditor and to every
contributory;
Provided that the Court may in any case
dispense with compliance with this
sub-section.
463.Control of Central Government over
liquidators.—(1) The Central Government shall take cognisance
of the conduct of
liquidators of companies which are being
wound up by the Court and, if a liquidator does not faithfully
perform his duties and
duly observe all the requirements
imposed on him by this Act, the rules thereunder, or
otherwise, with respect to the
performance of his duties,
or if any complaint is made to the Central Government by any
creditor or contributory in regard
thereto, the Central
Government shall inquire into the matter, and take such action
thereon as it may think expedient.
(2) The Central
Government may at any time require any liquidator of a company
which is being wound up by the Court to
answer any inquiry
in relation to any winding up in which he is engaged, and may,
if the Central Government thinks fit, apply to
the Court to
examine him or any other person on oath concerning the winding
up.
(3) The Central Government may also direct a local
investigation to be made of the books and vouchers of the
liquidators.Committee of inspection.
464.Appointment
and composition of committee of inspection.— (1) The
liquidator shall, within two months from the date of
the
order for the winding up of a company, convene a
meeting of its creditors (as ascertained from its books and
documents) for the
purpose of determining whether or not a
committee of inspection shall be appointed to act with the
liquidator, and who are to be
members of the committee, if
one is appointed.
(2) The liquidator shall, within
fourteen days from the date of the creditors meeting or such
further time as the Court in its
discretion may grant for
the purpose, convene a meeting of the contributories to
consider the decision of the creditors' meeting
and to
express the views of the contributories on the matter
specified in subsection (1); and it shall be open to the
meeting to
accept the decision of the creditors' meeting
with or without modification or to reject it.
(3)
Except in the case where the meeting of the contributories
accepts the decision of the creditors' meeting in its
entirety, it shall
be the duty of the liquidator to apply
to the Court for directions as to whether there shall be a
committee of inspection; and, if so,
what the composition
of the committee shall be, and who shall be members
thereof.
465.Constitution and proceedings of committee
of inspection.— (1) A committee of inspection appointed in
pursuance of
section 464 shall consist of not more than
twelve members, being creditors and contributories of the
company or persons holding
general or special powers of
attorney from creditors and contributories, in such
proportions as may be agreed on by the
meetings of
creditors and contributories, or in case of difference of
opinion between the meetings, as may be determined by
the
Court.
(2) The committee of inspection shall
have the right to inspect the accounts of the liquidator at
all reasonable times.
(3) The committee shall meet at
such times at it may from time to time appoint, and failing
such appointment, at least once a
month, and the liquidator
or any member of the committee may also call a meeting of the
committee as and when he thinks
necessary.
(4) The
quorum for a meeting of the committee shall be one-third of
the total number of the members, or two, whichever
is
higher.
(5) The committee may act by a majority
of its members present at a meeting, but shall not act unless
a quorum is present.
(6) A member of the committee may
resign by notice in writing signed by him and delivered to the
liquidator.
(7) If a member of the committee is
adjudged an insolvent, or compounds or arranges with his
creditors, or is absent from five
consecutive meetings of
the committee without the leave of those members who, together
with himself, represent the creditors or
contributories, as
the case may be, his office shall become vacant.
(8) A
member of the committee may be removed at a meeting of
creditor if he represents creditors, or at a meeting
of
contributories if he represents contributories, by an
ordinary resolution of which seven days' notice has been
given, stating the
object of the meeting.
(9) On a
vacancy occurring in the committee, the liquidator shall
forthwith summon a meeting of creditors or of contributories,
as
the case may require, to fill the vacancy; and the
meeting may, by resolution, re-appoint the same, or appoint
another, creditor or
contributory to fill the
vacancy:
Provided that if the liquidator, having regard
to the position in the winding up, is of the opinion that it
is unnecessary for the
vacancy to be filled, he may apply
to the Court and the Court may make an order that the Vacancy
shall not be filled, or shall not
be filled except in such
circumstances as may be specified in the order.
(10)
The continuing members of the committee, if not less than two,
may act notwithstanding and vacancy in the
committee.
General powers of Court in case of winding
up by Court.
466.Power of Court to stay winding up.—
(1) The Court may at any time after making a winding up order,
on the application
either of the Official Liquidator or any
creditor or contributory, and on proof to the satisfaction of
the Court that all proceedings
in relation to the winding
up ought to be stayed, make an order staying the proceedings,
either altogether for a limited time, on
such terms and
conditions as the Court thinks fit.
(2) On any
application under this section, the Court may, before making
an order, require the Official Liquidator to furnish to
the
Court a report with respect to any facts or matters
which are in his opinion relevant to the
application.
(3) A copy of every order made under this
section shall forthwith be forwarded by the company, or
otherwise as may be
prescribed, to the Registrar, who shall
make a minute of the order in his books relating to the
company.
467.Settlement of list of contributories and
application of assets.— (1) As soon as may be after making a
winding up order, the
Court shall settle a list of
contributories, with power to rectify the register of members
in all cases where rectification is required
in pursuance
of this Act, and shall cause the assets of the company to be
collected and applied in discharge of its
liabilities:
Provided that, where it appears to the
Court that it will not be necessary to make calls on, or
adjust the rights of, contributories,
the Court may
dispense with the settlement of a list of
contributories.
(2) In settling the list of
contributories, the Court shall distinguish between those who
are contributories in their own right and
those who are
contributories as being representatives of, or liable for the
debts of, others.
468.Delivery of property to
liquidator.— The Court may, at any time after making a winding
up order, require any contributory
for the time being on
the list of contributories, and any trustee, receiver, banker,
agent, or officer of the company, to pay,
deliver,
surrender or transfer forthwith, or within such
time as the Court directs, to the liquidator, any money,
property or books and
papers in his hands to which the
company is prima facie entitled.
469.Payment of debts
due by contributory and extent of set-off.— (1) The Court may,
at any time after making a winding up
order, make an order
on any contributory for time being on the list of
contributories to pay, in the manner directed by the
order,
any money due to the company, from his or from the
estate of the person whom he represents, exclusive of any
money payable
by him or the estate by virtue of any call in
pursuance of this Act.
(2) The Court, in making such an
order, may—
(a) in the case of an unlimited company,
allow to the contributory, by way of set-off any money due to
him or to the estate which
he represents, from the company,
on any independent dealing or contract with the company, but
not any money due to him as a
member of the company in
respect of any dividend or profit; and
(b) in the
case of a limited company, make to any director, managing
agent, secretaries and treasurers manager whose liability
is
unlimited, or to his estate, the like
allowance.
(3) In the case of any company, whether
limited or unlimited, when all the creditors have been paid in
full, any money due on any
account whatever to a
contributory from the company may be allowed to him by way of
set-off against any subsequent call.
470.Power of Court
to make calls.—(1) The Court may, at any time after making a
winding up order, and either before or after
it has
ascertained the sufficiency of the assets of the
company,—
(a) make calls on all or any of the
contributories for the time being on the list of the
contributories, to the extent of their liability,
for
payment of any money which the Court considers necessary to
satisfy the debts and liabilities of the company, and the
costs,
charges and expenses of winding up, and for the
adjustment of the rights of the contributories among
themselves; and
(b) make an order for payment of any
calls so made.
(2) In making a call, the Court may take
into consideration the probability that some of the
contributories may, partly or wholly,
fail to pay the
call.
471.Payment into bank of moneys due to company.—
(1) The Court may order any contributory, purchaser or other
person
from whom any money is due to the company to pay the
money into the public account of India in the Reserve Bank of
India
instate of to the liquidator.
(2) Any such
order may be enforced in the same manner as if the Court had
directed payment to the liquidator.
472.Moneys and
securities paid into Bank to be subject to order of Court.—
All moneys, bills, hundis, notes and other securities
paid
or delivered into the Reserve Bank of India in the course of
the winding up of a company by the Court, shall be subject
in
all respects to the orders of the
Court.
473.Order on contributory to be conclusive
evidence.—(1) An order made by the Court on a contributory
shall, subject to any
right of appeal, be conclusive
evidence that the money, if any, thereby appearing to be due
or ordered to be paid is due.
(2) All other pertinent
matters stated in the order shall be taken to be truly stated
as against all persons and in all
proceedings
whatsoever.
474.Power to exclude
creditors not proving in time.— The Court may fix a time or
times within which creditors are to prove
their debts or
claims, or to be excluded from the benefit of any distribution
made before those debts or claims are
proved.
475.Adjustment of rights of contributories.—
The Court shall adjust the rights of the contributories among
themselves, and
distribute any surplus among the persons
entitled thereto.