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2022 (9) TMI 953 - AT - Insolvency and BankruptcyMaintainability of application - initiation of CIRP - Corporate Debtor failed to make repayment of its dues - Operational Creditors - whether payment to the Operational Creditor/Respondent No. 1 as per work order is triggered in the present case giving rise to an operational debt? - existence of debt and default or not - whether the said operational debt exceeds an amount of Rs. 1 lakh and is an undisputed debt? - HELD THAT:- While Corporate Debtor/Appellant has claimed to have paid Rs. 92,62,856/- (Rupees ninety two lakhs sixty two thousand eight hundred fifty six only), the Respondent No. 1 has claimed to have received only Rs. 83,93,717/- (Rupees eighty three lakhs ninety three thousand seven hundred seventeen only). It is pertinent to note that the Corporate Debtor/Appellant has admittedly held back an amount of Rs. 23,72,215/- (Rupees twenty three lakhs seventy two thousand two hundred fifteen only) on the ground that 15% payment was to be released after installation and 5% amount as defect liability to be released after 6 months - Respondent No.1 was entitled to receive 62% payment from out of the retained amount, on pro-rata basis for the completed installations. If that be the case, then payment to the tune of Rs 14.70 lakhs had become due and payable as per payment terms and for which invoices had also been raised. The contention of the Appellant that payment was to be made only after full installation was completed in the respective towers and not on flat-wise completion cannot be acceded to for the following reasons. Firstly, it fails to explain why composite payment was not insisted upon tower-wise for the 80% amount for material delivery and RA bills were accepted. Secondly, from a plain reading of the payment terms, we do not find any embargo having been placed on the Operational creditor from claiming flat-wise payments as long as the installation was complete. Merely placing of conditions prior to release of payment, does not alter the colour and character of the operational debt and does not detract from its having become due and payable. Whether there is existence of dispute between the parties? - HELD THAT:- There is nothing on record to suggest that the Corporate Debtor/Appellant raised any such dispute before receipt of invoices or at any period prior to the issue of demand notice. There is nothing credible to substantiate the pre-existence of dispute. The Corporate Debtor/Appellant has defaulted in the payment of operational debt, of an amount exceeding Rs 1 lakh, which amount had clearly become due and payable, and further in the absence of any pre-existing dispute, there are no error has been committed by the Adjudicating Authority in admitting the application under Section 9 of IBC and initiating CIRP - Appeal dismissed.
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