2011 (9) TMI 843 - Board - Companies Law

Allegation of oppression and mismanagement under section 397/398 of the Companies Act, 1956 - family dispute - held that - these being family Companies being managed by the brothers in accordance with the family settlement, adherence to which has not been disputed, it is noted that by levelling allegations and counter-allegations by manipulating records by holding meetings without quorum both parties have endeavoured to gain control of the management of the companies and have acted in breach of fiduciary duties. The respondents have been involved in continuous acts of oppression against the petitioners and the present petitions deserve to be allowed in favour of the petitioners. Status quo ante is hereby restored setting aside the appointments of Sandeep Mittal, Nippun Mittal, Sameer Mittal and Naveen Mittal as directors. P-2 continues to be a director on the Board. All statements/statutory forms filed in this regard with the RoC are held to be invalid, all resolutions passed, in Board meetings/AGM/EGM are hereby cancelled.

Issues Involved:

1. Allegations of oppression and mismanagement under Sections 397/398 of the Companies Act, 1956.
2. Validity of appointments of directors and related resolutions.
3. Compliance with statutory requirements and corporate governance norms.
4. Allegations of forgery and fraudulent practices.
5. Adherence to family settlement agreements.
6. Fiduciary duties and conduct of directors.
7. Collusion and procedural irregularities in legal proceedings.

Detailed Analysis:

1. Allegations of Oppression and Mismanagement:
The petitioners alleged oppression and mismanagement under Sections 397/398 of the Companies Act, 1956, seeking declarations that the appointments of certain directors were null and void. They also sought to restrain these directors from interfering with the administration of the companies and requested the appointment of an independent chairman/administrator if necessary.

2. Validity of Appointments and Resolutions:
The petitioners contested the validity of the appointments of Sandeep Mittal, Nippun Mittal, Sameer Mittal, and Naveen Mittal as directors in Sangeeta Construction (P.) Ltd., Nippun Construction (P.) Ltd., and Aarti Construction (P.) Ltd. They claimed that the resolutions dated 9th December 2006, 27th August 2007, and 31st August 2007 were null and void due to lack of quorum and proper notice.

3. Compliance with Statutory Requirements:
The petitioners highlighted non-compliance with various statutory provisions, including sections 171, 174, 286, 287, 166, 210, and 219 of the Companies Act. They argued that the respondent companies were not issuing notices for meetings, not forwarding balance sheets and profit and loss accounts to members, and not holding AGMs as required by law.

4. Allegations of Forgery and Fraudulent Practices:
The petitioners accused the respondents of forging signatures and filing false documents with the Registrar of Companies (RoC). They provided evidence of Form 32 and DIN-3 filings that were allegedly based on forged resolutions and signatures. The petitioners also pointed out that the company secretary and statutory auditor were involved in these fraudulent activities.

5. Adherence to Family Settlement Agreements:
The respondents argued that the companies were being managed according to a family settlement among the four brothers, which had been acted upon and was being adhered to. They contended that the petitioners' allegations were part of an attempt to gain control over the companies, contrary to the family settlement.

6. Fiduciary Duties and Conduct of Directors:
The judgment emphasized the fiduciary duties of directors to act with utmost care, skill, and diligence in the interest of the company. It noted that the conduct of the respondents was harsh, burdensome, and against probity and good conduct, constituting oppression under Sections 397 and 398.

7. Collusion and Procedural Irregularities:
The respondents pointed out that the petitioners' counsel had also represented the respondent companies, indicating collusion. They argued that the petitioners had not come with clean hands and that the proceedings were collusive. The judgment acknowledged these procedural irregularities but focused on the substantive issues of oppression and mismanagement.

Judgment:
The judgment concluded that the respondents had not refuted the allegations of irregularities and illegalities in filing Form 32 and DIN-3. It found that the meetings held without quorum and proper notice were void ab initio, and the resolutions passed therein were invalid. The judgment restored the status quo ante, setting aside the appointments of the contested directors and holding all related statutory filings and resolutions as invalid. The petitions were allowed in favor of the petitioners, and all interim injunctions were vacated.

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