2018 (8) TMI 1653 - HC - Companies Law

Prayer for interim relief - Held that - In order to accommodate Ms. Acharya, this case is specially fixed at 12 noon tomorrow. In the event that Ms. Acharya is unable to conclude her arguments by 12 45 pm tomorrow, she can continue at 2 15 pm. Ms. Acharya states on instructions that the Respondents will not press an application which is listed tomorrow before the Special Judge in which permission has been sought by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office ( SFIO ) to record the statement of the Petitioner.

Summary

Issues:
1. Prayer for interim relief
2. Availability of Respondent's counsel
3. Application before the Special Judge by SFIO

Analysis:
1. The judgment pertains to a case where the Court heard submissions from both parties regarding the prayer for interim relief. The Petitioner was represented by learned Senior Counsel Mr. Kapil Sibal, while the Respondents were represented by the learned Additional Solicitor General of India, Ms. Maninder Acharya. The Respondent sought time for reply arguments, and the Court accommodated this request by fixing a special hearing time the next day to allow Ms. Acharya to present her arguments effectively.

2. The Respondent's counsel, Ms. Acharya, informed the Court that she would not be available the next day at the originally scheduled time due to prior commitments in other urgent matters. As a result, the Court adjusted the hearing schedule to ensure that Ms. Acharya could present her arguments by fixing a special time slot for the hearing. Additionally, Ms. Acharya confirmed that the Respondents would not press an application listed before the Special Judge, where permission was sought by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to record the statement of the Petitioner.

3. The Court, after considering the submissions and scheduling adjustments, directed the matter to be listed on 24th August 2018 for further proceedings. Furthermore, the Court ordered that a copy of the order be provided urgently to the parties under the signatures of the Court Master to ensure timely communication and compliance with the directives issued during the hearing.