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2018 (2) TMI 1988 - HC - Companies LawOppression and mismanagement - Rights issue of shares - shareholding of the Petitioners had been diluted - no notices were given for the meetings pertaining to the rights issue - shifting of the registered office, also, no notice for the same is given - appointment and removal of directors - Directorial disputes. HELD THAT:- The order of the CLB in the present case can in no circumstances be said to be either perverse, based on no evidence or arbitrary. The CLB has analysed the factual and legal position in depth and has arrived at a conclusion on facts that no case of oppression and / of mismanagement has been made out by the Appellants. The rights issue of shares and the service of notices by UPC - HELD THAT:- The rights issue was thus obviously contemplated as being the avenue for increasing the funds of the Company and for the growth of the Company. The CLB has recorded a finding of fact (in paragraph 28) that the rights issue was necessary for the growth of the Company and therefore the action of issuing the shares could not be termed as oppressive to the Appellants and/or mismanagement of the affairs of the Company - Pertinently, despite being party to the above meetings, at no point did the Appellants seek to subscribe to the rights issue, and did not even make such enquiries for several years prior to filing the present Petition. The reason for this was clearly because the rights issue which commenced from April 2007, was not of interest to the Appellants, as the Appellants had received back the sum loaned by them to the Company to the tune of ₹ 73,00,000/ . The Appellants had accepted back the loan as they did not desire to partake in the functioning of the Company. The Appellants have no explanation for their having taken back their loan, save and except to contend that this was not reflective of their disinterest in the company. In this regard, the CLB has arrived at a finding of fact, based on the conduct of the Appellants and this finding ought not to be interfered with in exercise of jurisdiction under Section 10F. As a matter of fact, after accepting their loan amounts back in or about March 2007, at no point did the Appellants write a single letter or demand to participate or show any interest in participating in the company until issuance of the show cause notice on 5th November 2007 - even on merits it cannot be said that the rights issue was either oppressive or done behind the back of the Appellants. Shifting of registered office - HELD THAT:- Pertinently, it is the admitted position that the UPC amount paid was ₹ 3/. It is more than sufficient for service on Appellant Nos.1 and 2; the other Directors and Shareholders being part of the Respondent Group, may well have been served by other means – they have raised no objection as to service or receipt of the notices. Once again this aspect is purely factual and is being dealt with only in light of the contentions raised by the Appellants. The crucial factor remains that shifting of the Registered Office has caused no prejudice to the Company, and is not oppressive in the least. There is nothing to show that the shifting was done to prejudice the Appellants - this contention does not constitute oppression or mismanagement. Directorial disputes - HELD THAT:- The Appellants have relied upon an RTI Application of 2012 to contend that no notice was received of the meeting for removal of the Appellants as Directors. It appears from the impugned judgment that this issue of the RTI Reply was not pressed before the CLB. Even otherwise, it is pertinent to note that in all the various allegations of not having received notice for various meetings, the Appellants have not sought to obtain any RTI on the delivery of notices for all the meetings which are the subject matter of dispute between 2007 and 2010, but have only purported to obtain an RTI for a meeting held in 2011. Be that as it may, the Appellants have been removed by resolutions and with appropriate Form 32’s filed, to the satisfaction of the ROC. It is nobody’s case that the ROC has thereafter raised any objections to the filing of the Forms or indeed to the manner of removal of the Appellants - Further the Company is not under any circumstances either a family company or a closely held quasi partnership, in which circumstances potentially directorial disputes may be raised. The judgments relied upon by the Appellants in this regard will have no application to a company such as Respondent No.1. Further, it does not appear that this issue of ‘quasipartnership’ was pressed before the CLB, and was not pressed in arguments before this Court. The Appeal ought to be dismissed as it does not give rise to any question of law. The factual findings are strictly matters which were within the province of the CLB. The CLB having exercised its discretion after analysing the evidence before it, this Court cannot to replace the discretionary order passed by the CLB with any contrary order - Even otherwise, on the findings of delay/laches and unclean hands, the present Appeal ought to be dismissed as the CLB has rightly declined to exercise its equitable jurisdiction in favour of the Appellants. Appeal dismissed.
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