High Court Karnataka High Court

Fortune Financial Services (I) … vs Golden Gate Properties Limited on 31 August, 2010

Karnataka High Court
Fortune Financial Services (I) … vs Golden Gate Properties Limited on 31 August, 2010
Author: H N Das
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT EANGA.I,O.RE,_

DATED THIS THE 31" DAY OF AUOUST,...,I'I"<Fi'*'-1'..1" 03." ._  "
SHRI N'I'M1S'H~ArI:._SHAH 

..PETITIONER

(By Sri.PARRYIP$_SAA/ID}\I~Ii,'..'FSRCOUNSEL
EOR SR1 'ARV'IND.M.NEGLUR, ADV.)

 'PROPERTIES LIMITED

A C-OMPVANVY' INCORPORATED UNDER THE
COMPANEES ACT, 1956,

A   «   HAVING. ITS REGISTERED OFFICE
A. ATG.OLDEN HOUSE, 80 FEET ROAD
' S"-'.._E.I,OCI<, KORAMANGALA,

 I3ANGALORE--560 095.

fizzy Sri.HARISH & CO., ADV.)

RESPONDENT

fiV!.V:’\/

I as-irzgw
THIS CG-}’t.QN’y’ ‘ ILED UNDER SECTION 433(6) & (fi_R1W

SEC. 434 OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 1956 PRAYING TO \?V_£l~ID”–«iJ”i?A

THE RESPONDENT COMPANY.

THIS PETITION HAVING BEEN HEARD ANI:.fjREsERvEO .,
FOR ORDERS, H.N.NAGA’MOHAN DAS.:~’J;”P.RONOI_,JNCE.D’

FOLLOWING:

ORBER

Petitioner is a Class-I Merchant Bankers’:eln’gaged the biisiness of
providing financial advise and cooperaltioihhii is a registered
company under the Coiiipanies registered office at
Bangalore. The “ihe:TRe_svpondent’company is to carry on
business of develloprrient in India and abroad. In
the year appointed the petitioner as its
financial consultants. there came to be an agreement
petitioner and'”‘theV respondent company as per Annexure–B

specifyingi’ti1e:”»terIns~,._arId conditions. In terms of the agreement, the

F”CResponde.nt paid a sum of Rs.l0,00,000/– on 13.2.2007 to the

C’ ” i.’petiti»orier. Oiiaccount of service and assistance rendered by the petitioner

tiwoiinvestors by name Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank’s REEF Fund

‘evidenced prima–facie interest in December 2006 and January 2007 to

2′ invest money in Respondent Company. Finally the Deutsche Bank agreed

we

to invest a sum of Rs.273.50 crores with the respondent. On 14.0.2007

there came to be a Term Sheet executed between the Responden~t-

and the Deutsche Bank as per Annexure–C. This agreemenit”–bet’tyeen thevi C

Respondent Company and the Deutsche Bank was Qnpiat:coyunt_of_theiepfforts

made by the petitioner under the Agreernenr.___at An’nex’ure–B terms (if the 2

agreement the petitioner submitted a 1v2.12i.’2.00i7’V’i’or:’:a sum of

Rs.10,7S,56,610/– for the servicesi_.ir’:nAdered_ periiAinnexure–D.
Thereafter the respondent».companwy~paid –Crores. According
to the petitioner deduction’ toraiiviithepayments made by the
Respondent of Rs.5,65,56,6i0/– as

on 12.12.2007, ._ ppetiti.o_ner’fs request by their letter dated

26.8.2008 as per: 4.11.2008 as per AnneXure–J,

14?_.esponden..t:i Company ~ not paid the balance amount due to the –

pet.i_Vti»on’er.__ Eiietw-eéen, _5.i_.2008 and 5.11.2003 continuously there was

Vcorrespoindence’ibetwe.en the parties and exchange of E–mail. From this

corresponidence between the parties the Respondent Company asked the

‘<p¢:i:ione1~.;p reduce the fee rate from 3.5% to 2%. But the petitioner refused

Htoifaccept the request of the Respondent Company for reduction of fee rate.

Further the correspondence between the parties reveals that Respondent

{\./

yw

not liable to pay any amount they paid a sum of Rs.5 Crores.~-under

tremendous pressure from the petitioner and the same do not an1otign.t.V'to

acknowledging the liability. On these grounds, the Resporirlent.

opposed the petition.

3. On 4.8.2010 when 1earnecliic’e1u1nse1i’t”or’petitionerAicovmmencied u

the arguments, learned counsel for respondent–..was }Again the
matter was adjourned to 1l.8.20′–l0′ for-_fu:ither”w–argu’1nents. On that day,
learned counsel for petitioner completed Vthe’=.argu;nents.’i Learned counsel

for respondent prayedpfor: two jweelgs time” ,arid:'”the same was refused.

However, it gwasivtoidlto ]e:art;e_d’»s:o’unsel'”for respondent that if they are
interested in addres–singthe’argu1r1ents…–they can do so within two days and

with this observation thevmatter. came to be reserved for pronouncement of

*o_rde’rs.p Even ?..after’t–one weeltiearned counsel for respondent has not come

forward to the _a’1_{guments.

4. H lfiiespoindent company admit that they have entered into an

agr..eenien’t._on 27.10.2006 as per Annexure-B with the petitioner specifying

_the–‘ terms and conditions. in terms of the agreement the transaction

the parties was to be completed on or before 31.3.2007. The

a.«

Ow.

parties by consent have agreed to extend the term of agreement bygdanother

90 days as per Annexnre–R1. Accordingly on 14.6.2007 _

came be entered between the respondent company and.’Deu-ts¢»he”‘Ban_k

per Annexure~C. Further the respondent coi*t1parg1’y..in their. s’tatern’ent”*:sf;_f

objections at para–9 admit that they have’-.receii/evdViinvesitirnerigtof

Crores by December 2007 as against appnrolved’disbursement of Rs.273.5
Crores. It is not in dispute that:fls:.1bset1tient’iythe’respondent company
made payment of Rs.5_(:rores It is also not in
dispute that as per respondent company has
agreed to pay On the face of it on the
amounts receiiv/ed«_by ‘they are liable to pay fee of Rs.8

Crores to the petitio_ner_

In: the correspondence between the petitioner and the

responden.tV’coKn1–;3;a1iy =t.bejtween January and November 2008 as found at

VA-nnexnre.s_–H to J Ztherespondent company had not denied the execution of

” }the__va»greementV.and the terms and conditions contained therein. Further in

thisicorrespnondence respondent company has not whispered a word that the

petit_ion:er has not extended any assistance and service in securing the

“investment from the Deutsche Bank and that on account of their own efforts

»”~_/

flu’,

they secured the investment. It is seen from the correspondence that the

respondent company requested the petitioner to reduce the pertzjenttagepf

fee from 3.5% to 2% and the same is refused by the petitioner.’ It 0′

first time the respondent company in their reply’ to the*i_’sta_tutory notice at

At1nexures»~L and M the respondent company cuon_te’n._dthat the.petitioi;.e’r.h’as ._

not performed their obligation in terms the agreement: “..:Therelfor’e, the”

defense taken by the respondentcompatiy’ invalid; not bonafide

and it is only a moonshine defense to.i.evad*e5the

6. The petiti.oner the “petition alleged that the respondent

Company is irrbifinancial dttfijefiitieegtnd corhrhercially insolvent and not able
to pay the debts.’ On the respondent company contends that

they are solvent, tii1ancial..’~sou.nd”and capable of discharging the debts.

finderpSeet:ion”*43%3(A1) ofitlie”‘Companies Act even if the respondent is

financiialgsoungd=andVuif._it_1has not paid the debts due to the petitioner, then it

deemedthat the respondent company is unable to pay the debts.

2 » Court vide order dated 07.09.2009 admitted the petition and

.per–mit;;ed the petitioner to take out advertisement in English daily ‘THE

0′ 0 _ ttittpu’ on or before 22.09.2009 fixing the date of hearing as 20.10.2009.

I\.,

J”

The petitioner complied the order of this Court and filed copy opfhpaper

publication before this Court. Pursuant to the advertisement ngitiody

forward either to support or to oppose the passing of winding .1

the circumstances the following;

) E-‘.._R

–.–.–.:g»-an

1

ORV

kn

i. The petition is hereby allowed:

ii. The respondent cornpariy Aisl-V_order’ed’»~to».2p’e’ wound up.

iii. The petitioner is direc’t’ed to Rs.25,000/~ with
the n_tiee;t,’the:”i”ri’itia1 expenses of the
windvingt ” l l

iv. ;iThe directed to serve a copy of this order on the
Registrar’ of thin 30 days.

v. petitioriervvipsplftzrther directed to take out advertisement of

A in English daily ‘THE HINDU’ within 14 days

‘ iirorr:’p–thei:;.date of receipt of copy of this order.

sale

U _7LRs. Eisége

up order. In”