In a significant ruling the Supreme Court of India ruled that the properties sold in auction sale before declaration of moratorium not liquidation asset under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) 2016.
A sale certificate was issued on 19th August 2019 under the provisions of the Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI Act) in relation to the immovable properties in respect of which auction sale was held i.e. two blocks of land situated in Howrah district in the State of West Bengal. The auction sale took place in respect of properties mortgaged by the borrower for availing credit facilities.
An operational creditor filed a petition under Section 9 of the 2016 Code before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and consequently on 20.08.2019 moratorium was declared, initiating the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP).
An erstwhile Director of the Corporate Debtor had taken out a notice of motion resisting the sale of the said properties. The NCLT, by an order passed on 25.02.2020 found issue of sale certificate and handing over of the property to be illegal and hence held that the subject-property shall continue to be assets of the Corporate Debtor.
The NCLT had proceeded on the basis that sale was not concluded and while commencing the resolution process, directed the Liquidator to take possession of the subject-properties. The Punjab National Bank had appealed against the aforesaid order of the Adjudicating Authority, which was dismissed on 14.02.2022, by a 2:1 majority decision, with a technical member of the Appellate Tribunal taking a dissenting view.
Though both the erstwhile Director and the Liquidator have filed counter-affidavits contesting the auction sale under the SARFAESI Act, 2002, the counsel representing them conceded the legitimacy of the transaction resulting from sale of the subject property through auction, and both of them agreed that the auction sale stood concluded before declaration of moratorium. This changed position left the appeal without any effective contest.
A Two-Judge Bench comprising Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Vikram Nath observed that “As we have already indicated, the Liquidator (now representing the Corporate Debtor in liquidation), the erstwhile Director/Promoter of the Corporate Debtor as also the Bank does not dispute the factual position that the sale stood concluded before declaration of moratorium. No reason was cited before us to demonstrate as to why the sale certificate would be held illegal. No case has been made out before us on behalf of the respondents about any defect or default in forwarding the sale certificate in terms of Section 89(4) of the Registration Act, 1908. On the other hand, all the three respondents have concurred at the time of hearing on the point that the sale stood concluded.”
“In these circumstances, the present appeal shall stand allowed to the extent the properties in question are concerned. These properties cannot be treated to be liquidation assets of the Corporate Debtor for the purpose of further steps to be taken in the liquidation proceeding. The impugned order is set aside and that would also render the order of the Adjudicating Authority invalid to the extent the two properties of the Corporate Debtor located in the district of Howrah are concerned” the Court concluded.
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