2000 (5) TMI 968 - HC - Companies Law

Summary

Issues Involved:
1. Approval of amalgamation under Section 394 of the Companies Act, 1956.
2. Compliance with statutory procedures and requirements.
3. Fairness and reasonableness of the scheme.
4. Objections and observations from the Regional Director and Official Liquidator.
5. Supervisory role of the court.

Detailed Analysis:

1. Approval of Amalgamation under Section 394:
The petitioner sought approval for the amalgamation between Exedy Ceekay Ltd. (transferor-company) and Ceekay Daikin Ltd. (transferee-company). The Board of Directors had already passed a resolution approving the scheme of amalgamation. The scheme included provisions such as the transfer of the entire undertaking to Ceekay Daikin Ltd. and the issuance of equity shares to the shareholders of the petitioner-company.

2. Compliance with Statutory Procedures and Requirements:
The petitioner-company had filed a petition for convening meetings of shareholders and creditors, which was allowed. The meetings were held, and it was reported that there were no objections from the shareholders and creditors. The scheme was conditional on approvals from various authorities, including the High Courts at Chandigarh and Bombay, and the completion of certain financial transactions.

3. Fairness and Reasonableness of the Scheme:
The court examined whether the scheme was fair and reasonable. It referenced several precedents, including judgments from the Punjab & Haryana High Court, Gujarat High Court, Madras High Court, Delhi High Court, Rajasthan High Court, Bombay High Court, and the Supreme Court. These precedents emphasized that the court's role is supervisory, not merely a rubber stamp, and that the scheme must be fair, reasonable, and in compliance with the law.

4. Objections and Observations from the Regional Director and Official Liquidator:
The Regional Director, Northern Region, Department of Company Affairs, Kanpur, indicated that the affairs of the company did not appear to be prejudicial to the interest of its members or public interest. The Official Liquidator, after inspecting the company's records, also had no objection to the scheme. However, during the course of submissions, certain conditions of the scheme were scrutinized, such as the normalization of share application money and the injection of loan money, which had already been given effect to without court permission.

5. Supervisory Role of the Court:
The court reiterated its supervisory role in sanctioning schemes of amalgamation. It referred to the Supreme Court's guidelines in Miheer H. Mafatlal v. Mafatlal Industries Ltd., which outlined the parameters for sanctioning a scheme, including compliance with statutory procedures, fairness, and reasonableness. The court found that the conditions related to financial transactions were not adequately explained and appeared to be unfair, potentially defeating certain provisions of law.

Conclusion:
The court concluded that the scheme was not fair and reasonable, and the conditions projected were not correct. Therefore, the petition for approval of the amalgamation was dismissed.