Sanil Prakash Sahu vs Registrar Of Companies Ministry ...
2023 Latest Caselaw 17073 MP

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           IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
                        AT GWALIOR
                            CRR No. 3754 of 2023
(SANIL PRAKASH SAHU AND OTHERS Vs REGISTRAR OF COMPANIES MINISTRY OF CORPORATE
                             AFFIARS AND OTHERS)



Dated : 13-10-2023

                                   ORDER

Shri V.D. Sharma and Shri Ankur Modi, learned counsel for petitioners.

Shri Praveen Kumar Newaskar, learned Dy. Advocate General for respondent for respondent No.1.

1. The instant criminal revision has been preferred under Section 397 read with Section 401 of Cr.P.C. against the judgment dated 12.08.2023 passed by Ninth Additional Sessions Judge, Gwalior in CRA No.588/2022 arising out of judgment dated 18.11.2022 passed by CJM Gwalior whereby petitioners who were Directors of respondent No.2 company were inflicted punishment under Section 209A(8) of Companies Act, 1956 with three months' simple imprisonment with fine of Rs. 50,000/- alongwith default stipulation.

2. Heard on I.A. No.15449/2023 which is an application under Section 397(1) of Cr.P.C. For suspension of sentence and grant of bail on behalf of the petitioners/revisionists.

3. It is the submission of learned counsel appearing for petitioners that petitioner No.1 Sanil Prakash Sahu is aged 68 years and is suffering from heart disease. Documents are placed with the application/revision in this regard. Petitioner No.2 Anil Prakash Sahu is aged 71 years and petitioner No.3 Sudhir Awasthi is aged 70 years. Petitioner No.3 is suffering from renal problem and

undergoing dialysis thrice in a week . All three petitioners are suffering from geriatric conditions.

4. It is further submitted that petitioners were inducted as Directors of the Company in the year 2003 whereas allegations are in respect of non- production of documents from the period 1999 to 2006. They came into the company as Directors in the year 2003, therefore, they were in possession of documents only since 2003 and not prior to it. Offence under Section 209A(8) of the Act, 1956 is primarily civil in nature which talks about non-production of documents before the authority. Neither any tax evasion, embezzlement of funds or any serious nature of allegations were not levelled over the petitioners. They do not have any tainted criminal background. Fine amount has already been deposited. They undertake to perform community service to serve national, social and environmental cause and to purge their deeds,if any.

5. Learned counsel for respondent opposed the prayer and referred the reply filed by respondent No.1. However, he fairly submitted that allegations are primarily in respect of non-production of documents.

6. Heard counsel for the rival parties and perused the record and documents appended thereto.

7. Considering the submissions, age of petitioners who are apparently senior citizens and are at the twilight zone of their life span and the nature of allegation which are primarily civil in nature and incidentally as per the new Act i.e. Companies Act,2013 (Section 206 Sub-section 7) punishment is confined to fine only instead of corporal, this Court intends to allow the application I.A. No.15449/2023 subject to deposit of fine amount and it is ordered that on furnishing a personal bond of Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh only) each by petitioners with a solvent surety of the like

amount each to the satisfaction of the concerned trial Court, petitioners' jail sentence shall remain suspended till disposal of this revision and they be released on bail and they shall abide by the terms and conditions as imposed by this Court as well as trial court while granting bail.

8. As per the spirit of community service echoed in the order of Sunita Gandharva Vs. State of M.P. reported in 2020(3) MPLJ(Cri.)247 petitioners undertake to perform community service to serve national, social and environmental cause and to purge their deeds,if any.

It is made clear that this bail is granted once the case is made out for bail and thereafter, direction for plantation of saplings is given and it is not the case where a person intends to serve social cause can be given bail without considering the merits.

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photographs by downloading the mobile application (NISARG App) prepared at the instance of High Court for monitoring the plantation through satellite / Geo-tagging / Geo-fencing.

9.List this case in the week commencing 06.11.2023 for further orders.

10. A copy of this order be sent to the trial Court concerned for compliance and information.

(ANAND PATHAK) JUDGE vishal

VISHAL Digitally signed by VISHAL UPADHYAY DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH BENCH GWALIOR, ou=HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH BENCH

UPADHY GWALIOR, 2.5.4.20=5d5050008f4c040023a64cb030 d9c80d25cbf5f3eb4f56fa864a20db4fbe3 d3e, postalCode=474001, st=Madhya Pradesh,

AY serialNumber=637E939E833627AE8CC1 3D85E5F2383A287E83C6CDFA6347A00E 482772314FE9, cn=VISHAL UPADHYAY Date: 2023.10.13 18:08:07 +05'30'