We will continue to discuss general provisions relating to winding up in this post also.
Certain limited powers of Company Liquidator (Section 343)
(1) The Company Liquidator may—
(a) with the sanction of the Tribunal, when the company is being wound up by the Tribunal; and
(b) with the sanction of a special resolution of the company and prior approval of the Tribunal, in the case of a voluntary winding up,—
(i) pay any class of creditors in full;
(ii) make any compromise or arrangement with creditors or persons claiming to be creditors, or having or alleging themselves to have any claim, present or future, certain or contingent, against the company, or whereby the company may be rendered liable; or
(iii) compromise any call or liability to call, debt, and liability capable of resulting in a debt, and any claim, present or future, certain or contingent, ascertained or sounding only in damages, subsisting or alleged to subsist between the company and a contributory or alleged contributory or other debtor or person apprehending liability to the company, and all questions in any way relating to or affecting the assets or liabilities or the winding up of the company and take any security for the discharge of any such call, debt, liability or claim, and give a complete discharge in respect thereof.
In the case of a winding up by the Tribunal, the Central Government may make rules to provide that the Company Liquidator may exercise any of these powers without the sanction of the Tribunal.
Any creditor or contributory may apply to the Tribunal with respect to any exercise or proposed exercise of powers by the Company Liquidator, and the Tribunal shall after giving a reasonable opportunity to such applicant and the Company Liquidator, pass such orders as it may think fit.
STATEMENT THAT COMPANY IS IN LIQUIDATION (SECTION 344):
Where a company is being wound up, whether by the Tribunal or voluntarily, every invoice, order for goods or business letter issued by or on behalf of the company or a Company Liquidator of the company, or a receiver or manager of the property of the company, being a document on or in which the name of the company appears, shall contain a statement that the company is being wound up.
If a company contravenes, the company, and every officer of the company, the Company Liquidator and any receiver or manager, who wilfully authorises or permits the non-compliance, shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees but which may extend to three lakh rupees.
BOOKS AND PAPERS OF COMPANY TO EVIDENCE (SECTION 345)
Where a company is being wound up, all books and papers of the company and of the Company Liquidator shall, as between the contributories of the company, be prima facie evidence of the truth of all matters purporting to be recorded therein.
INSPECTION OF BOOKS AND PAPERS BY CREDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS (SECTION 346)
At any time after the making of an order for the winding up of a company by the Tribunal, any creditor or contributory of the company may inspect the books and papers of the company.
DISPOSAL OF BOOKS AND PAPERS (SECTION 347)
When the affairs of a company have been completely wound up and it is about to be dissolved, its books and papers and those of the Company Liquidator may be disposed of as follows:—
(a) in the case of winding up by the Tribunal, in such manner as the Tribunal directs; and
(b) in the case of voluntary winding up, in such manner as the company by special resolution with the prior approval of the creditors direct.
After the expiry of five years from the dissolution of the company, no responsibility shall devolve on the company, the Company Liquidator, or any person to whom the custody of the books and papers has been entrusted, by reason of any book or paper not being forthcoming to any person claiming to be interested therein.
The Central Government may, by rules,—
(a) prevent for such period as it thinks proper the destruction of the books and papers of a company which has been wound up and of its Company Liquidator; and
(b) enable any creditor or contributory of the company to make representations to the Central Government in respect of the matters specified in clause (a) and to appeal to the Tribunal from any order which may be made by the Central Government in the matter.
If any person acts in contravention of any rule framed or an order made, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees, or with both.
INFORMATION AS TO PENDING LIQUIDATIONS (SECTION 348):
If the winding up of a company is not concluded within one year after its commencement, the Company Liquidator shall, unless he is exempted from so doing either wholly or in part by the Central Government, within two months of the expiry of such year and thereafter until the winding up is concluded, at intervals of not more than one year or at such shorter intervals, if any, as may be prescribed, file a statement in such form containing such particulars as may be prescribed, duly audited, by a person qualified to act as auditor of the company, with respect to the proceedings in, and position of, the liquidation,—
(a) in the case of a winding up by the Tribunal, with the Tribunal; and
(b) in the case of a voluntary winding up, with the Registrar:
No such audit shall be necessary where the provisions of section 294 apply.
When the statement is filed with the Tribunal, a copy shall simultaneously be filed with the Registrar and shall be kept by him along with the other records of the company.
Where a statement relates to a Government company in liquidation, the Company Liquidator shall forward a copy thereof—
(a) to the Central Government, if that Government is a member of the Government company;
(b) to any State Government, if that Government is a member of the Government company; or
(c) to the Central Government and any State Government, if both the Governments are members of the Government company.
Any person stating himself in writing to be a creditor or contributory of the company shall be entitled, by himself or by his agent, at all reasonable times, on payment of fee, to inspect the statement, and to receive a copy thereof or an extract therefrom.
Any person fraudulently stating himself to be a creditor or contributory shall be deemed to be guilty of an offence under section 182 of the Indian Penal Code, and shall, on the application of the Company Liquidator, be punishable accordingly.
If a Company Liquidator contravenes the provisions of this section, the Company Liquidator shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees for every day during which the failure continues.
If a Company Liquidator makes wilful default in causing the statement audited by a person who is not qualified to act as an auditor of the company, the Company Liquidator shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both.
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