JUDGMENT

M.Y. EQBAL, J.:

Leave granted.

2. Since common questions of law are involved, these appeals have been heard together and are being disposed of by this common judgment. However, for the sake of convenience, the factual matrix giving rise to these cases as alleged in the civil appeal arising out of SLP(C) No. 13120 of 2013 is set out hereinafter.

3. The appellant – Chandran Ratnaswami, alleged to have settled in Canada since 1974, is an officer of Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (in short, “Fairfax”) which is based in Canada and has also made investments in India worth more than USD 1 billion. The said appellant is also a Director on the Boards of various renowned companies including ORE Holdings Limited (in short, “ORE”), a Fairfax Group company, based in Mauritius, and has to travel to India on business commitments. The said holding company, ORE on 30th January, 2004 entered into a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with CG Holdings Private Limited (respondent No. 1 – K.C. Palanisamy’s company) and N. Athappan (a Singapore citizen) for constructing and developing a hotel property, a shopping complex and an IT Park o