SC affirms NCLAT's refusal to implead stranger applicant lacking subsisting legal right in company law appeal

SC upheld the NCLAT's refusal to implead a third-party applicant as respondent in the company law appeal. It was held that impleadment requires a demonstrable, subsisting legal right or direct interest in the subject matter of the appeal. As the applicant was a stranger to the lis with no surviving right in the disputed subject matter, it could not claim participation in the appellate proceedings. Finding no legal infirmity or jurisdictional error in NCLAT's reasoning, SC dismissed the appeal.

---

---

The Supreme Court, exercising its appellate jurisdiction, considered challenges to an order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). After hearing counsel for all parties, the Court held that there was no infirmity in the NCLAT's decision, stating: "We do not find any error in the impugned order passed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal." By this categorical finding, the Supreme Court effectively affirmed the NCLAT's reasoning and conclusions in full, leaving the underlying company law and insolvency-related determinations of the NCLAT undisturbed. As a result, the civil appeal(s) before the Court were dismissed, and any connected or "pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of." The order is a non-speaking one, providing no further substantive reasoning and thereby signaling the Court's endorsement of the NCLAT's adjudication without modification or remand.

---