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2022 Supreme(Raj) 437

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
MANINDRA MOHAN SHRIVASTAVA, BIRENDRA KUMAR, JJ.
Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited – Appellant
Versus
State of Rajasthan – Respondent
D.B. Special Appeal (Writ) No. 1063 of 2019 In S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 7904 of 2018
Decided on : 29-07-2022

Headnote:

Companies Act, 1956 - Sections 391 and 394 - Rajasthan Stamp Act, 1998 - Section 51, 56, 65, 2(xix), (xxiii), 3, (b), 20, 21, 23, 90 and 91 - Indian Stamp Act, 1899 - Rajasthan Stamp Law (Adaptation) Act, 1952 - Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 - Information Technology Act, 2000 - Companies Act, 2013 - Sections 232, 233 or 234 - Banking Regulation Act, 1949 - Section 44-A - Central Excises and Salt Act, 1944 - Bihar Finance Act, 1981- Company - Amalgamation And Transfer Of Assets - Payment Of Stamp Duty - Appellant filed writ petition on pleadings inter alia that appellant-company, registered and engaged in business of manufacturing of telecom equipments, optical fibre cables and also providing telecom turnkey services, entered into an arrangement and amalgamation of another company - Deputy Registrar, after coming to conclusion that as valuation of 14 parcels of land was not possible there being no separate demarcation which would enable such valuation, held appellant-company liable for payment of a sum as stamp duty with mutation of records of JDA within 15 days, failing which action was contemplated in terms of Section 56 of Stamp Act of 1998 - Such a demand was raised on valuation arrived at Rs. 12,73,29,36,970/-of entire document, i.e., order passed by High Court of Himachal Pradesh sanctioning scheme of amalgamation and transfer of assets of Sunvision Engineering Company Private Limited to appellant-company - Aggrieved by said order, appellant-company filed writ petition before this Court – Held, Finding of learned Single Judge that stamp duty, if not paid in State of Himachal Pradesh, could well be levied under Stamp Act of 1998, does not have any legal basis in view of discussion as above - Firstly, there is no material on record placed by any of parties to establish that instrument-in-question was leviable to stamp duty under State law in Himachal Pradesh - Secondly, irrespective of whether or not appellant was liable to pay stamp duty in State of Himachal Pradesh and whether or not it has been paid in that State, stamp duty would be leviable only in respect of properties situated in State of Rajasthan and not in respect of transfer of shares under instrument as that transfer by execution of instrument and passing of order by High Court of Himachal Pradesh does not bear any territorial nexus - As sequitur to aforesaid consideration and discussion, Court hold that appellant would be liable for payment of stamp duty only on market value of properties situated in State of Rajasthan required to be assessed in accordance with statutory scheme of Stamp Act of 1998 - Demand for payment of stamp duty in excess of such liability is in excess of authority under Stamp Act of 1998 - In result, order passed by learned Single Judge is held unsustainable in law and same is set aside - Order and notice issued by Respondent No. 2, Collector (Stamps), (Annexure P-1 and Annexure P-2 attached with the writ petition) to extent of including value of shares issued pursuant to scheme of arrangement and amalgamation are also quashed - Respondent No. 2 is directed to carry out fresh assessment of duty payable by appellant-company in accordance with directions issued by this Court - Appeal allowed.

JUDGMENT :

Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, J.

This appeal is directed against order dated 07.06.2019 passed by the learned Single Judge, whereby, writ petition filed by the appellant-writ petitioner has been dismissed.

2. The appellant filed writ petition on pleadings inter alia that the appellant-company, registered under the Companies Act, 1956 at Solan, Himachal Pradesh and engaged in the business of manufacturing of telecom equipments, optical fibre cables and also providing telecom turnkey services, entered into an arrangement and amalgamation of another company namely, Sunvision Engineering Company Private Limited. Petition under Sections 391 and 394 of the Companies Act, 1956 was submitted before the High Court of Himachal Pradesh for sanctioning the scheme of arrangement and amalgamation of Sunvision Engineering Company Private Limited with the appellant-company. Vide order dated 05.01.2011, the High Court of Himachal Pradesh sanctioned the scheme. Transferor and Transferee companies were allowed to file copy of the order with the Registrar of Companies of the State of Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh and the transferor company was dissolved without process of winding up.

3. Further pleading was that as a result of sanction of the scheme of arrangement and amalgamation of Sunvision Engineering Company Private Limited with the appellant-company, the assets and properties of Sunvision Engineering Company Private Limited were registered with the appellant-company and equity shares were also allotted to the shareholders of Sunvision Engineering Company Private Limited in the ratio of 47 equity shares of value of Re. 1/-for every one share of Sunvision Engineering Company Private Limited having face value of Rs. 10/-. In this manner, 47 crore equity shares were issued to the shareholders of Sunvision Engineering Company Private Limited, which was holding one crore equity shares of the said company. Sunvision Engineering Company Private Limited also owned 14 parcels of land situated in the State of Rajasthan. These assets of Sunvision Engineering Company Private Limited were also transferred by virtue of order of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in favour of the appellant-company, whereafter, the appellant-company approached Jaipur Development Authority (for short ‘JDA’) on 09.01.2017 seeking mutation of aforementioned 14 parcels of land situated at Shiv Nagar-II/Ramnagariya, Jaipur in the revenue records. JDA sent the matter for legal examination, whereafter, the State Government, having examined the documents of amalgamation, formed an opinion that there was deficit of stamp duty. A demand was, therefore, raised against the appellant-company by issuing a notice under Section 51 of the Rajasthan Stamp Act, 1998 (for short ‘the Stamp Act of 1998’) by registering the proceedings against the appellant-company. The appellant-company in that proceedings submitted that the stamp duty as payable for valuation of 14 parcels of land situated in the State of Rajasthan of which the appellant-company became owner by virtue of sanction order of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, alone were required to be assessed for determination of stamp duty. A representation was submitted in response to notice dated 22.06.2017. The Deputy Registrar, after coming to the conclusion that as the valuation of 14 parcels of land was not possible there being no separate demarcation which would enable such valuation, vide order dated 07.03.2018, held the appellant-company liable for payment of a sum of Rs. 25 crores as stamp duty with the mutation of the records of JDA within 15 days, failing which action was contemplated in terms of Section 56 of the Stamp Act of 1998. Such a demand was raised on valuation arrived at Rs. 12,73,29,36,970/-of the entire document, i.e., the order passed by the High Court of Himachal Pradesh sanctioning the scheme of amalgama

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