Whether Bank can recover the amount when part payment was made prior to moratorium order?
Shubham Budhiraja[1]
Bank
issued loan to company A which defaulted and bank took action under SARFESI and
auction conducted and part payment made. Meanwhile, section 10 petition
admitted by the NCLT during moratorium, bank accepted the part payment from
auction purchaser. It is the contention of Bank that sale gets complete on
first payment which occurred prior to CIRP order. Hon’ble
Apex Court held that recovery of balanced part payment by the Bank is hit by
section 14 IBC and not permissible.
(I)
After the CIRP is initiated, there is moratorium
for any action to foreclose, recover or enforce any security interest created
by the Corporate Debtor in respect of its property including any action under
the SARFAESI Act. It is clear that once the CIRP is commenced, there is
complete prohibition for any action to foreclose, recover or enforce any
security interest created by the Corporate Debtor in respect of its property.
The words “including any action under the SARFAESI Act” are significant. The
legislative intent is clear that after the CIRP is initiated, all actions
including any action under the SARFAESI Act to foreclose, recover or enforce
any security interest are prohibited.
(II)
IBC is a complete Code in itself and in view of
the provisions of Section 238 of the IBC, the provisions of the IBC would prevail
notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in any other law for
the time being in force.
(III)
In view of the provisions of Section 14(1)(c) of
the IBC, which have overriding effect over any other law, any action to
foreclose, recover or enforce any security interest created by the Corporate Debtor
in respect of its property including any action under the SARFAESI Act is
prohibited. Hence, the Bank could not have continued the proceedings under the
SARFAESI Act once the CIRP was initiated and the moratorium was ordered.
[1]
Advocate, Delhi High Court , shubhambudhiraja02@gmail.com
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