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2020 (9) TMI 1219 - NATIONAL COMPANY LAW TRIBUNAL, NEW DELHIMaintainability of application - initiation of CIRP - Corporate Debtor failed to make repayment of its dues - Financial Creditors - existence of debt and dispute or not - pendency of the claim filed by the applicant in other CIRP proceeding - time limitation - HELD THAT:- Mere plain reading of the provision shows that Section 18(1) of Limitation Act says that Where, before the expiration of the prescribed period for a suit or application in respect of any property or right, an acknowledgment of liability in respect of such property or right has been made in writing signed by the party against whom such property or right is claimed, or by any person through whom he derives his title or liability, a fresh period of limitation shall be computed from the time when the acknowledgment was so signed. Whether the acknowledgement of debt can change the date of default in view of Section 18 of the Limitation Act or not? - HELD THAT:- Specially Sub Section 18(1) of the Limitation Act, which says that the Where, before the expiration of the prescribed period for a suit or application in respect of any property or right, an acknowledgment of liability in respect of such property or right has been made in writing signed by the party against whom such property or right is claimed, or by any person through whom he derives his title or liability, a fresh period of limitation shall be computed from the time when the acknowledgment was so signed. Article 137 of the Limitation Act says that if there is no period is prescribed then an application or suit shall be filed within 3 years when the right to apply accrues, it means a person may file an application within 3 years from the date when the right to apply accrues and here in this case, the right to apply accrues, when the default has occur and the NPA was declared on 31.12.2015, therefore, right to file an application under Section 7 accrues within 3 years from the date of NPA i.e. on 31.12.2015 but when we shall consider the Section 18 in which it is clearly mentioned the word property or right, which means the acknowledgement in respect of property or right, if it is made in writing then the period of limitation shall be computed from the date when the acknowledgement in writing was made. As per the NPA the period of limitation comes to an end on 30.12.2018 but prior to that an acknowledgement of debt was made in writing by the Corporate Debtor on 18.07.2017. Under Section 18 of the Limitation Act, if the acknowledgement of debt in writing and signed by the person before the expiration of prescribed period of limitation then the limitation shall be computed from the time when the acknowledgment was so signed and in this case, the acknowledgement was signed by the Corporate Debtor on 18.07.2017, therefore, the limitation runs from that day and the present application was filed by the corporate Debtor on 04.03.2020 hence, the application is within time. Whether during the pendency of the claim filed by the applicant in other CIRP proceeding, this application is maintainable or not? - HELD THAT:- Section 12A is not applicable, so far the claim filed by the person before the IRP is concerned. The decisions upon which, the petitioner has placed reliance, in our considered view the facts of that decision is different from the facts of the case in hand, therefore, none of the decision will help the respondent to substantiate its submission that a person can withdraw its claim only under Section 12A of the IBC with the approval of the 90% of the member of the CoC - there are no option but to hold that there is no force raised on behalf of Ld. Counsel for respondent that the petition filed by this applicant is not maintainable because he had already filed its claim before the RP in the CIRP initiated against the parent company of the respondent i.e. EIEL. The applicant has succeeded to establish that there is a financial debt and Corporate Debtor is in default in making the payment of that financial debt, the application is complete - Application admitted - moratorium declared.
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