TMI BlogFinancial debtX X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... nce or capital lease under the Indian Accounting Standards or such other accounting standards as may be prescribed; (e) receivables sold or discounted other than any receivables sold on non-recourse basis; (f) any amount raised under any other transaction, including any forward sale or purchase agreement, having the commercial effect of a borrowing; Explanation.-For the purposes of this sub-clause,- (i) any amount raised from an allottee under a real estate project shall be deemed to be an amount having the commercial effect of a borrowing; and (ii) the expressions, "allottee" and "real estate project" shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in clauses (d) and (zn) of section 2 of the Real Estate ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... a fund or in settlement of a debt or account payable. 2. The money so paid; an amount of money given for a particular purpose." 71. In the present context, it is clear that the expression "disburse" would refer to the payment of instalments by the allottee to the real estate developer for the particular purpose of funding the real estate project in which the allottee is to be allotted a flat/apartment. The expression "disbursed" refers to money which has been paid against consideration for the "time value of money". In short, the "disbursal" must be money and must be against consideration for the "time value of money", meaning thereby, the fact that such money is now no longer with the lender, but is with the borrower, who then utilises t ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... t amounts that are "raised" under "transactions" not covered by any of the other clauses, would amount to a financial debt if they had the commercial effect of a borrowing. 77. A perusal of these definitions would show that even though the petitioners may be right in stating that a "borrowing" is a loan of money for temporary use, they are not necessarily right in stating that the transaction must culminate in money being given back to the lender. The expression "borrow" is wide enough to include an advance given by the homebuyers to a real estate developer for "temporary use" i.e. for use in the construction project so long as it is intended by the agreement to give "something equivalent" to money back to the homebuyers. The "something e ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... gainst the consideration of the time value of money and includes money borrowed against the payment of interest, as per Section 5(8)(a) IBC. The definition of "financial debt" in Section 5(8) includes the components of sub-clauses (a) to (i) of the said Section. 22. NCLT and NCLAT have overlooked the words "if any" which could not have been intended to be otiose. "Financial debt" means outstanding principal due in respect of a loan and would also include interest thereon, if any interest were payable thereon. If there is no interest payable on the loan, only the outstanding principal would qualify as a financial debt. Both NCLAT and NCLT have failed to notice clause (f) of Section 5(8), in terms whereof "financial debt" includes any amoun ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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