SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2007 Supreme(SC) 1088

Supreme Court Of India
PRESTIGE LIGHTS LTD - Appellant
Versus
STATE BANK OF INDIA - Respondent
Decided On : 08/20/2007

Borrowers must comply with the requirements of Section 13(3A) of the Act and provide valid representations to the Bank. Non-compliance with Court orders may result in the party being denied a hearing on the merits. Parties seeking equitable relief must disclose all material facts to the Court.

Headnote:

Securitization, Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act - Appellant's loan default and Bank's action - Section 13(2) and 13(3A)

Fact of the Case:

Appellant defaulted on a loan obtained from the respondent-Bank, leading to the Bank invoking Section 13(2) of the Act to recover the dues. Appellant challenged the Bank's actions in the High Court, which dismissed the petition. The appellant then appealed to the Supreme Court.

Finding of the Court:

The Court found that the appellant failed to make regular loan repayments and did not provide a valid representation to the Bank as required by Section 13(3A) of the Act. The Court also noted that the appellant did not comply with the interim order to deposit a specified amount with the Court. The Court held that the appellant's non-compliance with the Court's order constituted contempt and that the appellant had suppressed material facts from the Court.

Issues: Loan default, Bank's action under Section 13(2) of the Act, Appellant's representation, Compliance with Court's interim order, Suppression of material facts

Ratio Decidendi: The Court emphasized the importance of borrowers providing valid representations to the Bank as required by Section 13(3A) of the Act. The Court also held that non-compliance with a Court order constitutes contempt and may result in the party being denied a hearing on the merits. Additionally, the Court highlighted the principle that a party seeking equitable relief must disclose all material facts to the Court.

Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed, and the appellant was held liable for costs.

JUDGMENT:

C.K. THAKKER, J.

1.Leave granted.

2.The present appeal is directed against the judgment and order dated March 29, 2005 passed by the High Court of Uttaranchal at Nainital in Writ Petition No. 293 of 2005 by which the petition filed by the petitioner (present appellant) was dismissed in limine.

3.To appreciate the controversy, few relevant facts may be noted.

4.Appellant herein is a Private Limited Company engaged in manufacturing bulbs, chokes and fittings. The factory of the appellant is situated at Dhalwala Industrial Area, Rajpur Road, Dehradun, Uttranchal. In 1992, the appellant obtained a loan of Rs. 85 lakhs from State Bank of India, Commercial Branch, Radha Palace, Rajpur Road, Dehradun respondent herein. The Company mortgaged its land and building with the respondent-Bank. According to the appellant, till 2001, the business of the appellant was comparatively good and it had no problem in depositing the interest accrued towards credit facilities. In or about 2001-02, however, because of heavy slump in the market due to arrival of cheaper Chinese Products, the appellant suffered huge losses and could not deposit the interest-amount with the respondent-Bank. The respondent-Bank, therefore, issued a notice on October 16, 2004 under sub-section (2) of Section 13 of the Securitization, Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (hereinafter referred to "the Act") alleging therein that the appellant failed to pay a sum of Rs.87,64,549.42 P. It was stated that the appellant had created security by equitable mortgage of land, bearing Khasra No. 550/3 and 550/4 admeasuring 10,036 sq. ft. situated at village Jagjitpur, Pargana Jwalapur, Tehsil and District Haridwar. The notice also sought to invoke personal guarantee given by M.P. Goel, Sudha Goel and Abhinav Goel. The appellant was called upon to deposit the amount mentioned in the notice with interest, expenses and costs within sixty days failing which the Bank would exercise power under sub-seciton (4) of Section 13 of the Act. It was also stated that the appellant should not transfer by sale, lease or otherwise the secured assets detailed in Schedule to the notice. The notice was served on the appellant-Company on October 19, 2004. It is the case of the appellant that it submitted a representation on October 20, 2004 wherein it was stated that the appellant had proposed to pay dues of the Bank after selling the land and building of the Factory. It was further stated that the appellant had proposed to regularize assets of the Company as per fixed plan. If the respondent-Bank would continue working in a healthy spirit, the appellant was confident that it would be able to regularize the assets of the Company as per the proposal. It was also stated that the Bank had a second charge on the assets of the Company and the dues to be paid to Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation were very small and the substantial sale proceeds of the assets of the Company would automatically go to the Bank and the Bank need not take any hasty action by invoking the provisions of the Act.

5.It may be stated at this stage that it is the case of the respondent-Bank that it had not received any such representation said to have been sent by the appellant on October 20, 2004. According to the appellant-Company, without considering the representation of the appellant, dated October 20, 2004, the respondent-Bank in purported exercise of the power under sub-section (4) of Section 13 of the Act, threatened the appellant to take over residential premises of the Directors of the appellant-Company by a communication, dated February 8, 2005. On March 19, 2005, the respondent-Bank issued a notice to take over possession of the residential house of the Director. Being aggrieved by all these illegal actions and dispossession-notice, the appellant approached the High Court of Uttranchal at Nainital on March 24, 2005 by invoking writ jurisdiction of the Court under































































Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top