IN THE NATIONAL COMPANY LAW TRIBUNAL,
KOLKATA BENCH,
KOLKATA
C.P (IB) No.1578/KB/2018 In the matter of
An application under 9 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 read with Rule 6 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Application to Adjudicating Authority) Rules,2016.
And In the matter of: Masters Development Management (India) Private Limited , CIN:
U70102MH2008PTC187221, having its Registered office at 1-C-1403, Whispering Palms, Akurli Road, Lokhandwala Complex, Kandivali (East), Mumbai 400 101 and also office at GA 142,1444, Rajdanga Main Road, Kolkata 700 107.
… Operational Creditor Versus In the matter of:
Team Taurus Realty and Infrastructure Private Limited ( For its Sonartori Project) ,CIN: U70109WB2012PTC176063, having its registered office at DN 51, Suit# 610, 6th
Floor, Salt Lake, Sector V, Kolkata- 700091. …Corporate Debtor Date of hearing :13/12/2021
Order Pronounced on : 07/01/2022 Coram: Mr. Rohit Kapoor, Member (Judicial) Mr. Harish Chander Suri, Member (Technical)
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C.P (IB) No.1578/KB/2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Counsels appeared through Video Conference
1. Mr. Ankan Rai, .Adv. ] For the Operational Creditor
1. Mr. Suvadeep Sen. Adv. ] For the Corporate Debtor
2. Ms. Ekta Jaiswal, C.S.
O R D E R
Per: Harish Chander Suri, Member (Technical)
1. The Court is convened by video conference today.
2. This petition under section 9 of the IBC has been filed by Masters Development Management (India) Private Limited, CIN:
U70102MH2008PTC187221, a corporate entity, (hereinafter referred as the Operational Creditor), seeking initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process in respect of Team Taurus Realty and Infrastructure Private Limited ( For its Sonartori Project) ,CIN:
U70109WB2012PTC176063, another corporate entity, having its registered office at DN 51, Suit# 610, 6th
Floor, Salt Lake, Sector V, Kolkata- 700091 (hereinafter referred as the Corporate Debtor).
3. It is submitted that vide orders dated 3rd
October, 2019, this Adjudicating Authority had recorded that "It is submitted by the Ld. Counsel for the Operational Creditor that the parties have settled the matter but terms of settlement are yet to be finalized. Be that as it may, this matter stands disposed of with a liberty to revive the same, if settlement talks fail. CP (IB) No. 1578/KB/2018 stands disposed of. Thereafter, the Operational Creditor filed the present I.A No./171/KB/2021 for restoration of the main C.P. The respondents were given three weeks' time to comply with the terms of settlement by making payment to the applicant/ Operational Creditor".
4. Thereafter, the matter was adjourned from time to time. Since nobody ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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C.P (IB) No.1578/KB/2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- appeared for the Corporate Debtor on 21 st
October,2021 and 31 st August, 2021. The application was restored to its original number and the matter was listed for hearing on 13th
December,2021, the matter has been taken up for hearing .
5. This application under section 9 of IBC was filed by Masters Development Management (India) Private Limited against Team Taurus Realty and Infrastructure Private Limited. It is submitted that the principal amount of debt due from the Corporate Debtor to the Operational Creditor is Rs.5,62,037/- ( Rupees Five Lakh Sixty Two Thousand and Thirty Seven only) and interest having accrued on the said amount calculated @ 18% per annum till 25th
September, 2018 is Rs. 1,48,862/-(Rupees One Lakh Forty Eight Thousand Eight Hundred Sixty Two only), thus the total amount being Rs.7,10,899/- plus future interest till realization of the amount is stated to be due and outstanding from the Corporate Debtor to the Operational Creditor. The Operational Creditor has annexed a tabulated chart showing particulars of the operational debt, as Annexure II-F.The Operational Creditor has annexed various documents to prove its case.
6. It is submitted that the payment fell due under tax paid Invoices. It is submitted that the terms of the letters of appointment dated 27thFebruary 2016 and 28 th
May 2016 and Invoice No. 041642/SP/16- 17/13, dated 17th
February, 2017 and Invoice No. 041651/SP-LC/17- 18/02, dated 1st
June 2017 have been violated. The Operational Creditor has annexed various other documents in order to prove the existence of Operational debt and the amount in default.
1. Letters of Appointment dated 27th
February 2016 and 28thMay 2016 (Annexure II-A).
2. Copies of Invoices (Annexure II-B):
i) Invoice No 041642/SP/16-17/13 dated 17th
February 2017 to the tune of Rs.3,89,537/- raised in respect of ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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C.P (IB) No.1578/KB/2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Construction Management Services rendered by the Operational Creditor to the Corporate Debtor.
ii) Invoice No. 041651/SP-LC/17-18/02 dated 1st
June, 2017 to the tune of Rs. 1,72,500/-, raised in respect of Landscape Consultancy Services rendered by the Operational Creditor to the Corporate Debtor.
3. E-mail correspondences issued by the Operational Creditor to the Corporate Debtor. (Annexure II-C)
4. Copy of Demand Notice dated 25th
September 2018 along with tracking report. (Annexure II-D)
5. Reply to demand notice dated 2nd
November 2018 (Annexure II-E).
6. Tabular Charts showing the particulars of the operational debt.(Annexure II-F)
7. Copy of the Bank Statements of Operational Creditor of its account maintained with HDFC Bank for the period between 28th
December,2015 to 25th
September 2018. (Annexure III)
7. The Operational Creditor has annexed Annexure-II-A which is letter dated 27th
February, 2016 written by Sonartori Project addressed to the Operational Creditor on the "subject: letter of appointment for Construction Management Services whereby, Sonartori Project was pleased to appoint Operational Creditor as their construction Manager for their Pather Panchali (PP) plus Phase -1 , Phase -2 ; to take the lead for timely completion of project with desired quality standards based on requisite supports from our design management, planning and costs management team and procurement team. This letter was duly signed by
"a Partner of Sonartori Project". This letter was duly received, confirmed and accepted by Masters Development Management (India) Private Limited (MDM), i.e. the Operational Creditor
8. It is submitted that vide another letter dated 17th
February 2017 written by Operational Creditor addressed to Sonartori Project, the Operational ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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C.P (IB) No.1578/KB/2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Creditor has written to the addressee, and enclosing therewith Invoice No. 041642/SP/16-17/13 dated 17th
February 2017 towards fee for the month of February 2017 in accordance with the letter of appointment dated 27th
February 2016. This letter has been signed by authorised signatory of the Operational Creditor. The Operational Creditor has sent letter dated 17th
February 2017 to Sonartori Project along with original Invoice and Invoice Annexure, letter dated 1st
June, 2016 along with Original Invoice 041642/SP/16-17/13 for an amount of Rs. 10,66,992/- and Original Invoice MDMPL/SP-LC/17-18/02 for an amount of Rs.1,57,500/-
9. It is submitted that a Demand Notice dated 25th
September, 2018 was written by the Operational Creditor to the Corporate Debtor. In the body of the Demand Notice, the Operational Creditor has stated that "the Principal Amount of debt due from Team Taurus Realty and Infrastructure Private Limited (for its Sonartori Project), Corporate Debtor" to Masters Development Management (India) Private Limited (MDM), Operational Creditor is Rs. 5,62,037/- The Operational Creditor is itself describing Sonartori Project as Corporate Debtor. The Invoices dated 17th
February, 2017 and 1st
June 2016 have also been issued in the name of Sonartori Project. Similarly, all other Invoices issued by the Operational Creditor are in the name of the Sonartori Project and admittedly the work was done for Sonartori Project. It is stated to be a partnership firm, but the Demand Notice has been issued on the Team Taurus Realty and Infrastructure Private Limited. It would be seen that reply dated 2nd
November, 2018 to the Demand Notice was also sent by Sonartori Project. It would be further seen from Annexure- II F (Ext.A) that all the payments have been made by Sonartori Project after deduction of TDS from the amount due to the Operational Creditor.
10. It is pertinent to mention that letter dated 27th
February 2016, Annexure-II A is the foundation of the dealings between the parties. This is a letter of appointment for Construction Management Services, ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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C.P (IB) No.1578/KB/2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- for which, the Sonartori Project appointed Masters Development Management (India) Private Limited (MDM), the Operational Creditor
herein. This letter deals with all the terms and conditions of the
agreement to be adhered to by and between the two parties. The
Corporate Debtor herein i.e. Team Taurus Realty and Infrastructure
Private Limited does not find mention in this letter of appointment.
Similarly, letter dated 28th
May 2016 also is a letter of appointment for Landscape Consultancy Services, for which the quotation of the Operational Creditor was accepted by Sonartori Project and the Operational Creditor was appointed as the Landscape Consultant for Landscape design, design development and preparation of CFCs and other details for 6.08 Acres of land of Pather Panchali Project.
11. In the reply affidavit one of the Directors of Team Taurus Realty and Infrastructure Private Limited submitted that the Corporate Debtor has been erroneously impleaded in the instant proceedings as a Corporate Debtor. It is submitted that the Corporate Debtor herein cannot be a 'Corporate Debtor' as defined under section 3(8) of the IBC, 2016 because there is no privity of contract by and between the parties and the said Company owes no debt to the Operational Creditor.
12. It is further submitted by the Corporate Debtor that the letter of appointment for construction management services dated 27th
February, 2016 annexed to the application has been issued by Sonartori Project in favour of the Operational Creditor. Similarly, the letter of appointment dated 28th
May, 2016 (annexed to the said application) for Landscape Consultancy Services has also been issued by Sonartori Project in favour of the Operational Creditor. It is submitted that Sonartori Project is a Partnership Firm and the aforesaid letters of appointment have been issued for and on behalf thereof by an authorised representative of one of the partners. It is submitted that the Deed of Partnership of the said firm was executed and registered before the office of the Additional ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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C.P (IB) No.1578/KB/2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Registrar of the Assurance - III, Kolkata on 29 th
November, 2010. Copy enclosed as Annexure-A and the partners of the said firm are i) M/s Soumitra Projects Private Limited, ii) M/s Mounthill Exports Private Limited and iii) M/s Well Homes Private Limited, all private limited companies and the Corporate Debtor herein is not a partner thereof .
13. It is submitted that the Corporate Debtor herein has neither issued any letter of appointment nor awarded any contract to the Operational Creditor. The Invoices annexed to the application were issued by the Operational Creditor to Sonartori Project i.e. the said partnership firm and not to the company purportedly arrayed in this application as the Corporate Debtor. It is further submitted that payments in response to such Invoices were also made by the said partnership firm, as would appear from the statements annexed by the Operational Creditor in the said application. It is further submitted that there exists no relationship whatsoever between the Operational Creditor and the Corporate Debtor herein far less any privity of contract. It is also submitted that the question of the Operational Creditor having any claim from the said company, owing any unpaid operational debt to the Operational Creditor does not and cannot arise. The Corporate Debtor therefore has submitted that since the petition is not maintainable against the said company, the same warrants summary dismissal.
14. The Corporate Debtor further submitted that description of the said company as a Corporate Debtor is wholly erroneous, and there is no amount of debt due from the said company to the Operational Creditor. It is denied that any debt fell due on account of rendering construction management services and Landscape Consultancy Services to the alleged Corporate Debtor for its Sonartori Project by the Operational Creditor pursuant to the said letters of appointment duly signed by the representative of the parties.
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C.P (IB) No.1578/KB/2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15. It is denied by the Corporate Debtor herein that the said services have been provided to it in terms of the aforesaid letters of appointment or
such services have been accepted by the Corporate Debtor at all. It is
submitted that the Invoices were issued by the Operational Creditor to
Sonartori Project, the said partnership firm, and not to the said company,
which has been wrongly arrayed in the said application as the
Corporate Debtor and therefore there is no question of the said company
accepting such Invoices. It is submitted that all the mails,
correspondences and Demand Notices issued by the Operational
Creditor emanate from the said letters of appointment as aforesaid
which was issued by the said partnership firm in favour of the
Operational Creditor. It is stated that even though notice dated 25thSeptember, 2018 was issued to the said company and not to the said
partnership firm, the reply dated 2nd
November, 2018 was issued by the said partnership firm and not by the said company and the same cannot be treated as a response under section 8(2) of the Code as having been made by the said company /Corporate Debtor herein.
16. The Corporate Debtor has further submitted in the reply that there is no operational debt for the said company owed to the Operational Creditor, as such the instant application is vexatious, harrassive and warrants to be dismissed.
17. The Corporate Debtor has further denied that any provisions of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 or Sale of Goods Act, 1930 have been violated as alleged. It is stated that the bank statements relied by the Operational Creditor do not show that the purported debt of the operational Creditor is in respect of the said company (Corporate Debtor) as alleged or at all. It is submitted that none of the documents relied upon by the Operational Creditor would show that it owes any amount of Operational Creditor debt from the said company.
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C.P (IB) No.1578/KB/2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18. The Operational Creditor further filed rejoinder to the reply and submitted that the Corporate Debtor is trying to wriggle out of its
liability to make payment of legitimate dues to the Operational Creditor
and has sought to raise several disputes vide their reply dated 7thFebruary 2019, as also in their reply to the demand notice dated 2 nd November, 2018 which are wholly baseless and misconceived. The Operational Creditor has further submitted that payments have fallen
due under the Invoices dated 17th
February 2017 to the tune of Rs.3,89,537/- and Invoice dated 1st
June, 2017 to the tune of Rs.1,72,500/- which were duly received and acknowledged by the Corporate Debtor on 18th
February, 2017 and 1st
June , 2017. It is submitted that there was no existence of dispute or record of any pending litigation before receipt of the Demand Notice and at no point of time before that the Corporate Debtor has raised any grievance whatsoever. It is submitted that the Director of the Corporate Debtor had accepted and given assurance for payment which has not been fulfilled till date.
19. In IA 171/KB/2021, the Operational Creditor has submitted that after the settlement was entered into, the Corporate Debtor has failed to adhere to and comply with the settlement of payment as mentioned in the terms of settlement dated 4th
October, 2019 and under the terms of settlement three post dated cheques for liquidating the claim of operational Creditor were handed over, details of which are as under:-
| Date | Cheque No. | Payer | Payee | Amount (Rs.) |
| 05 August 2020 | 451917 Axis Bank | Sonartori Projects | Masters Development Management (India) Private Limited | 1,56,093.00 |
| 05 September 2020 | 451918 Axis Bank | Sonartori Projects | Masters Development Management | 1,78,539.00 |
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| | | (India) Private Limited | |
| 05 October 2020 | 451920 | Sonartori Projects | Masters Development Management (India) Private Limited | 1,78,532.00 |
aforesaid cheques were issued by the Corporate Debtor for making
payment of the outstanding dues of the Operational Creditor. It is
submitted that all the cheques were dishonoured by the Bank due to
'insufficient funds'. On closure scrutiny of this averment of the
Operational Creditor, it is found that even these three cheques bearing
no. 451917 dated 5th
August 2020, 451918 dated 5th
September, 2020 and 451917 dated 5th
October, 2020 drawn on Axis Bank were given to the Operational Creditor by Sonartori Project and not by the Corporate Debtor.
21. Even though the application was revived on the prayer of the Operational Creditor to decide the issue involved on merits, but we find that the Operational Creditor actually had transaction only with the Sonartori Project which is a separate entity i.e. duly registered partnership firm and the Corporate Debtor did not have any connection as regards these transactions, for which appointment letters had been issued to the Operational Creditor and the work was assigned by Sonartori Project only. Even the payments were being received by the Operational Creditor from Sonartori Project, and even after settlement, the three cheques were issued by Sonartori Project.
22. Unfortunately the Operational Creditor was not well advised when it issued demand notice under section 8 of the Code in the name of the Corporate Debtor herein, which is a separate company and has no relationship with the Sonartori Project which is the main Debtor if at all. The Operational Creditor should have served the demand notice on the ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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C.P (IB) No.1578/KB/2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sonartori Project i.e partnership firm and should have proceeded against the same for recovery of dues before the appropriate forum instead of
taking a so-called easy route to recover its money from the Corporate
Debtor named in this petition.
23. We have gone through the pleadings and the documents filed on record
by the parties and are of the considered view that this petition under section 9 of IBC would not survive as against the Corporate Debtor herein i.e. Team Taurus Realty and Infrastructure Private Limited
and the same is hereby rejected.
24. The Operational Creditor, however, shall have the liberty to proceed against the Sonatori Project for recovery of its dues before the appropriate Forum/ Court if permitted under law.
25. With these directions C.P.(IB) No.1578/KB/2018 is dismissed.
26. Registry is hereby directed to communicate the order to the Operational Creditor, the Corporate Debtor, the I.R.P. and the jurisdictional Registrar of Companies by Speed Post as well as through email.
27. Certified copy of the order may be issued to all the concerned parties, if applied for, upon compliance with all requisite formalities. (Harish Chander Suri) (Rohit Kapoor) Member (Technical) Member (Judicial)
Order signed on this, the 7th
day of January, 2022
PJ.
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