TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2018 (11) TMI 498
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.... 1. Leave granted. 2. These matters come to us from a Full Bench judgment of the Allahabad High Court dated 06.02.2018. By an order of reference dated 19.09.2017, a learned Single Judge noticed divergent opinions expressed by two different Benches of the Allahabad High Court on the question whether an application under section 17(1) of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest Act, 2002 (hereinafter referred to as the "SARFAESI Act" or the "Act"), at the instance of a borrower, is maintainable even before physical or actual possession of secured assets is taken by banks/financial institutions in exercise of their powers under section 13(4) of the Act read with rule 8 of the Security Interest (Enforcement) Rules, 2002 (hereinafter referred to as the "2002 Rules"). After discussing the various provisions of the Act, the 2002 Rules and judgments of the Supreme Court, the Full Bench summarised the true legal position according to it as follows: "29. The upshot of legal position that emerges from the judgments of the Supreme Court, insofar as the question referred to for our consideration is concerned, briefly stated, is....
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....ntuality, possession can also be restored to the borrower. (h) If the possession is taken before confirmation of sale, it cannot be stated that the right of the borrower to get the dispute adjudicated upon is defeated. The borrower's right to get back possession even after the sale remains intact or stands recognised under the scheme of the provisions of the Act. (i) The borrower is not entitled to challenge the reasons communicated or likely measure, to be taken by the secured creditor under Section 13(4) of the Act, unless his right to approach DRT, as provided for under Section 17(1), matures. The borrower gets all the opportunities, at different stages, either to clear the dues or to challenge the measures under Section 13(4) or even to challenge the reasons rejecting his objections/not accepting the objections, after the measures under Section 13(4) have been taken. (j) While the banks have been vested with stringent powers for recovery of their dues, safeguards have also been provided for rectifying any error or wrongful use of such powers by vesting DRT with authority, after conducting an adjudication into the matters, to declare any such actio....
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....s taking only "symbolic possession" and not "physical possession". We record further reasons to say so in following paragraph. From the scheme of Section 13(4) and Sections 14 and 17 of the Act and the relevant Rules 8 and 9 of the Rules, it appears to us that unless physical possession is taken, the measure, contemplated under Section 13(4), cannot be stated to have been taken. 31.1. One of the rights conferred on a secured creditor is to transfer by way of lease, the secured asset, possession or management whereof has been taken under clauses (a) or (b) of sub-section (4) of Section 13. We have already held that sale or assignment of the secured assets could only be undertaken if actual physical possession has been taken over by the bank/FI's. If we pose a question whether right to transfer the secured assets by way of lease could be exercised without taking actual physical possession of the secured asset or management of the business of the borrower, our answer would be obviously in the negative. 31.2. The word 'lease' has not been defined under the Act, but it has been used in the Act in the same sense as under the Transfer of Property Act, 1882. Thereunder, S....
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.... physical possession of a property nor in a position to deliver physical possession in future, he is incompetent to create a valid lease. The reason being that he is not in a position to confer upon the lessee the right to enjoy the property to the exclusion of the lessor and everyone else. 31.5. It thus necessarily follow that the ultimate object of taking possession of the secured asset or management of the business of the borrower would not be achieved unless the secured creditor is in a position to further exercise his right to transfer the same, inter alia, by way of lease or sale, which could be possible only if physical (actual) possession has been taken over and not constructive or symbolic possession. The language of Section 13(6) also supports our view. Thus, while there is no bar in first taking symbolic possession of the secured assets, but it is implicit in sub-section (4) of Section 13 that the secured creditor has to thereafter proceed to take physical (actual) possession in order to exercise its right to transfer by way of lease, assignment or sale." xxx xxx xxx "34. Thus, the scheme of the provisions of Sections 13 and 17 of the Act, read....
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....loses actual (physical) possession, he cannot take recourse to provisions of Section 17(1). Even while taking steps under Section 13(4) of the Act read with Rule 8 of the Rules, in a given case, the bank may not physically dispossess the borrower and wait till it takes steps to conduct actual sale/auction of the secured assets i.e. till he issues notice under Rule 8(6) of the Rules. Even that by itself, from the scheme of the Act and the Rules, in the backdrop of the objective of the Act, in our opinion, does not confer any right to take recourse to Section 17(1). The borrower can file securitisation application under Section 17(1) only when he physically loses possession." xxx xxx xxx "40. We are, therefore, of the firm and considered opinion that taking "symbolic possession" or issuance of possession notice under Appendix IV of the Rules, meeting with any resistance, cannot be treated as "measure"/s taken under Section 13(4) of the Act and, therefore, the borrower at that stage cannot file an application under Section 17(1) before DRT. In other words, a securitisation application under Section 17(1) of the Act is maintainable only when actual/physical possession....
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.... in exercise of powers contained under section 13(4) of the Act read with rule 8 of the 2002 Rules. As soon as this takes place, according to Shri Kaul, since "symbolic possession" has been so taken, the right of the borrower to approach the Debts Recovery Tribunal for relief under section 17 gets crystallized. He also relied upon sub-rule (3) to argue that possession may be taken under this sub-rule which is "actual" as opposed to "symbolic" possession under sub-rule (1). According to the learned Senior Advocate, the moment possession is taken either under rule 8(1) or under rule 8(3), section 13(6) gets attracted thereby making it clear that a transfer of secured asset, after taking such possession, shall vest in the transferee all rights in, or in relation to, the secured asset transferred as if the transfer had been made by the owner of such secured asset. According to Shri Kaul, after symbolic possession is taken under rule 8(1), rules 8(5) to 8(8) and rule 9 can then be followed in order to effect sale of property of which symbolic possession has been taken. Shri Kaul attacked the judgment of the Full Bench, stating that the conclusion of the Full Bench that the borrower woul....
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....relied upon observations in various Supreme Court judgments to buttress his stand that it is only at the stage of actual physical possession that an application can be filed under section 17 and not before. 5. Shri Ranjit Kumar, learned Senior Advocate, appearing on behalf of the respondents in Civil Appeal arising out of SLP(C) No.12841 of 2018, went on to argue that all the sub-clauses in section 13(4) must be construed together. If that is done, it is clear that under sub-clauses (b) and (c), management and possession must physically be taken over. Therefore, under sub-clause (a), the expression "possession" must also mean actual physical possession. According to the learned Senior Advocate, the measures taken under section 13 must also be read with sections 14 and 15. It is clear that under section 14, actual physical possession is to be handed over by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or the District Magistrate to the secured creditor, and under section 15, management of the business has actually to be taken over as two managements cannot possibly continue at the same time. Read in this light, the scheme of the Act, therefore, is clear and it becomes equally clear that only....
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.... therefore, the correct stage would be the stage at which actual physical possession has been taken, upon which a debtor may then approach the Debts Recovery Tribunal under section 17. 7. Having heard learned counsel for the parties, we may first set out the Statement of Objects and Reasons for the 2002 Act. The Statement of Objects and Reasons for the 2002 Act read as follows: "Statement of Objects and Reasons.-The financial sector has been one of the key drivers in India's efforts to achieve success in rapidly developing its economy. While the banking industry in India is progressively complying with the international prudential norms and accounting practices there are certain areas in which the banking and financial sector do not have a level playing field as compared to other participants in the financial markets in the world. There is no legal provision for facilitating securitisation of financial assets of banks and financial institutions. Further, unlike international banks, the banks and financial institutions in India do not have power to take possession of securities and sell them. Our existing legal framework relating to commercial transactions has not ke....
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....rred on the banks and financial institutions; (f) declaration of any securitisation company or reconstruction company registered with the Reserve Bank of India as a public financial institution for the purpose of Section 4-A of the Companies Act, 1956; (g) defining "security interest" as any type of security including mortgage and charge on immovable properties given for due repayment of any financial assistance given by any bank or financial institution; (h) empowering banks and financial institutions to take possession of securities given for financial assistance and sell or lease the same or take over management in the event of default, i.e. classification of the borrower's account as non-performing asset in accordance with the directions given or guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India from time to time; (i) the rights of a secured creditor to be exercised by one or more of its officers authorised in this behalf in accordance with the rules made by the Central Government; (j) an appeal against the action of any bank or financial institution to the concerned Debts Recovery Tribunal and a second appeal to the Appellate Debts....
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....ion (2) shall give details of the amount payable by the borrower and the secured assets intended to be enforced by the secured creditor in the event of non-payment of secured debts by the borrower. Ins. by Act 30 of 2004, S. 8 (w.r.e.f. 11-11-2004). [(3-A) If, on receipt of the notice under sub-section (2), the borrower makes any representation or raises any objection, the secured creditor shall consider such representation or objection and if the secured creditor comes to the conclusion that such representation or objection is not acceptable or tenable, he shall communicate Subs. for "within one week" by Act 1 of 2013, S. 5(a) (w.e.f. 15-1-2013) [within fifteen days] of receipt of such representation or objection the reasons for non-acceptance of the representation or objection to the borrower : Provided that the reasons so communicated or the likely action of the secured creditor at the stage of communication of reasons shall not confer any right upon the borrower to prefer an application to the Debts Recovery Tribunal under Section 17 or the Court of District Judge under Section 17-A.] (4) In case the borrower fails to discharge his liability in full w....
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....ed to be the purchaser of the immovable property at any subsequent sale, the amount of the purchase price shall be adjusted towards the amount of the claim of the secured creditor for which the auction of enforcement of security interest is taken by the secured creditor, under sub-section (4) of Section 13. (5-C) The provisions of Section 9 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949) shall, as far as may be, apply to the immovable property acquired by secured creditor under sub-section (5-A).] (6) Any transfer of secured asset after taking possession thereof or take over of management under sub-section (4), by the secured creditor or by the manager on behalf of the secured creditor shall vest in the transferee all rights in, or in relation to, the secured asset transferred as if the transfer had been made by the owner of such secured asset. xxx xxx xxx (13) No borrower shall, after receipt of notice referred to in sub-section (2), transfer by way of sale, lease or otherwise (other than in the ordinary course of his business) any of his secured assets referred to in the notice, without prior written consent of the secured creditor." Sectio....
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....rson (including borrower,) aggrieved by any of the measures referred to in sub-section (4) of Section 13 taken by the secured creditor or his authorised officer under this chapter, Subs. for "may prefer an appeal" by Act 30 of 2004, S. 10 (w.r.e.f. 21-6-2002). [may make an application along with such fee, as may be prescribed,] to the Debts Recovery Tribunal having jurisdiction in the matter within forty-five days from the date on which such measure had been taken: Ins. by Act 30 of 2004, S. 10 (w.r.e.f. 21-6-2002). [Provided that different fees may be prescribed for making the application by the borrower and the person other than the borrower.] Ins. by Act 30 of 2004, S. 10 (w.r.e.f. 11-11-2004) [Explanation.-For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that the communication of the reasons to the borrower by the secured creditor for not having accepted his representation or objection or the likely action of the secured creditor at the stage of communication of reasons to the borrower shall not entitle the person (including borrower) to make an application to the Debts Recovery Tribunal under sub-section (1) of section 17.] Ins. by Act 44 of 2016, S.....
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....orrower or restore the management of the business to the borrower, as the case may be, and pass such order as it may consider appropriate and necessary in relation to any of the recourse taken by the secured creditor under sub-section (4) of Section 13.". [(3) If, the Debts Recovery Tribunal, after examining the facts and circumstances of the case and evidence produced by the parties, comes to the conclusion that any of the measures referred to in sub-section (4) of section 13, taken by the secured creditor are not in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, and require restoration of the management or restoration of possession, of the secured assets to the borrower or other aggrieved person, it may, by order,- (a) declare the recourse to any one or more measures referred to in sub-section (4) of section 13 taken by the secured creditor as invalid; and (b) restore the possession of secured assets or management of secured assets to the borrower or such other aggrieved person, who has made an application under sub-section (1), as the case may be; and (c) pass such other direction as it may consider ap....
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....sed of by the Debts Recovery Tribunal within the period of four months as specified in sub-section (5), any party to the application may make an application, in such form as may be prescribed, to the Appellate Tribunal for directing the Debts Recovery Tribunal for expeditious disposal of the application pending before the Debts Recovery Tribunal and the Appellate Tribunal may, on such application, make an order for expeditious disposal of the pending application by the Debts Recovery Tribunal. (7) Save as otherwise provided in this Act, the Debts Recovery Tribunal shall, as far as may be, dispose of the application in accordance with the provisions of the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 (51 of 1993) and the rules made thereunder.]" Rule 8 of the 2002 Rules reads as follows: "8. Sale of immovable secured assets.-(1) Where the secured asset is an immovable property, the authorised officer shall take or cause to be taken possession, by delivering a possession notice prepared as nearly as possible in Appendix IV to these rules, to the borrower and by affixing the possession notice on the outer door or at such conspicuous place of....
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....ding public auction, the secured creditor shall cause a public notice in two leading newspapers one in vernacular language having sufficient circulation in the locality by setting out the terms of sale, which shall include,- (a) the description of the immovable property to be sold, including the details of the encumbrances known to the secured creditor; (b) the secured debt for recovery of which the property is to be sold; (c) reserve price, below which the property may not be sold; (d) time and place of public auction or the time after which sale by any other mode shall be completed; (e) depositing earnest money as may be stipulated by the secured creditor; (f) any other thing which the authorised officer considers it material for a purchaser to know in order to judge the nature and value of the property. (7) Every notice of sale shall be affixed on a conspicuous part of the immovable property and may, if the authorised officer deems it fit, put on the website of the secured creditor on the Internet. (8) Sale by any methods other than public auction or public tender, shall be on such terms as may be settled Su....
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.... within the registration sub-district ......................... and District ....................... Bounded: On the North by On the South by On the East by On the West by sd/- Authorised Officer (Name of Institution) Date: Place:" 8. This Court in Mardia Chemicals (supra) after referring in detail to the provisions of the Act held: "48. The next safeguard available to a secured borrower within the framework of the Act is to approach the Debts Recovery Tribunal under Section 17 of the Act. Such a right accrues only after measures are taken under sub-section (4) of Section 13 of the Act. xxx xxx xxx 59. We may like to observe that proceedings under Section 17 of the Act, in fact, are not appellate proceedings. It seems to be a misnomer. In fact it is the initial action which is brought before a forum as prescribed under the Act, raising grievance against the action or measures taken by one of the parties to the contract. It is the stage of initial proceeding like filing a suit in civil court. As a matter of fact proceedings under Section 17 of the Act are ....
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....measures as provided under sub-section (4) of Section 13 of the Act. After service of notice, if the borrower raises any objection or places facts for consideration of the secured creditor, such reply to the notice must be considered with due application of mind and the reasons for not accepting the objections, howsoever brief they may be, must be communicated to the borrower. In connection with this conclusion we have already held a discussion in the earlier part of the judgment. The reasons so communicated shall only be for the purposes of the information/knowledge of the borrower without giving rise to any right to approach the Debts Recovery Tribunal under Section 17 of the Act, at that stage. 2. As already discussed earlier, on measures having been taken under subsection (4) of Section 13 and before the date of sale/auction of the property it would be open for the borrower to file an appeal (petition) under Section 17 of the Act before the Debts Recovery Tribunal. 3. That the Tribunal in exercise of its ancillary powers shall have jurisdiction to pass any stay/interim order subject to the condition as it may deem fit and proper to impose. 4. In view ....
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....borrowers to file appeals under Section 17 of the Act within the limitation as prescribed therefor. It also observed that if the borrower, after service of notice under sub-section (2) of Section 13 of the said Act, raises any objection or places facts for consideration of the secured creditor, such reply to the notice must be considered with due application of mind and the reasons for not accepting the objections, howsoever brief that may be, must be communicated to the borrower. The reasons so communicated shall only be for the purposes of the information/knowledge of the borrower without giving rise to any right to approach the Debts Recovery Tribunal under Section 17 of the Act, at that stage. 3. In view of the above judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court and also to discourage the borrowers to postpone the repayment of their dues and also enable the secured creditor to speedily recover their debts, if required, by enforcement of security or other measures specified in sub-section (4) of Section 13 of the said Act, it had become necessary to amend the provisions of the said Act. 4. Since the Parliament was not in session and it was necessary to take immediate a....
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....orrower and make provision for filing an appeal to the High Court from the order of the Court of District Judge; (g) makes provision for validation of the fees levied under the said Act before the commencement of this Ordinance. xxx xxx xxx" The Act was accordingly amended in accordance with the aforesaid judgment. 9. The judgment in Mardia Chemicals (supra) had made it clear in paragraph 80 that all measures having been taken under section 13(4), and before the date of sale auction, it would be open for the borrower to file a petition under section 17 of the Act. This paragraph appears to have been missed by the Full Bench in the impugned judgment. 10. A reading of section 13 would make it clear that where a default in repayment of a secured debt or any instalment thereof is made by a borrower, the secured creditor may require the borrower, by notice in writing, to discharge in full his liabilities to the secured creditor within 60 days from the date of notice. It is only when the borrower fails to do so that the secured creditor may have recourse to the provisions contained in section 13(4) of the Act. Section 13(3-A) was inserted by the 2004 Amendment ....
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....tice is given under rule 8(1) and 8(2) by the secured creditor to the borrower, the borrower cannot deal with the secured asset at all as all further steps to realise the same are to be taken by the secured creditor under the 2002 Rules. 12. Section 19, which is strongly relied upon by Shri Ranjit Kumar, also makes it clear that compensation is receivable under section 19 only when possession of secured assets is not in accordance with the provision of this Act and rules made thereunder. That this is the general scheme of the Act is also clear from section 17(2) which states that the Debts Recovery Tribunal, when an application is filed before it, shall consider whether any of the measures referred to in section 13(4) taken by the secured creditor are in accordance with the provisions of the Act and rules made thereunder. The scheme of section 13(4) read with rule 8(1) therefore makes it clear that the delivery of a possession notice together with affixation on the property and publication is one mode of taking "possession" under section 13(4). This being the case, it is clear that section 13(6) kicks in as soon as this is done as the expression used in section 13(6) is "a....
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....also be rejected. 16. Yet another argument was made by the learned counsel for the respondents that section 17(3) would require restoration of possession of secured assets to the borrower, which can only happen if actual physical possession is taken over. Section 17(3) is a provision which arms the Debts Recovery Tribunal to give certain reliefs when applications are made before it by the borrower. One of the reliefs that can be given is restoration of possession. Other reliefs can also be given under the omnibus section 17(3)(c). Merely because one of the reliefs given is that of restoration of possession does not lead to the sequitur that only actual physical possession is therefore contemplated by section 13(4), since other directions that may be considered appropriate and necessary may also be given for wrongful recourse taken by the secured creditor to section 13(4). This argument again has no legs to stand on. 17. Another argument made by learned senior counsel for the respondents is that if we were to accept the construction of section 13(4) argued by the appellants, the object of the Act would be defeated. As has been pointed out hereinabove in the Statement of Object....
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.... to a quasi-judicial body in case of wrongful action taken by the secured creditor. 18. Another argument that was raised by learned senior counsel for the respondents is that the taking of possession under section 13(4)(a) must mean actual physical possession or otherwise, no transfer by way of lease can be made as possession of the secured asset would continue to be with the borrower when only symbolic possession is taken. This argument also must be rejected for the reason that what is referred to in section 13(4)(a) is the right to transfer by way of lease for realising the secured asset. One way of realising the secured asset is when physical possession is taken over and a lease of the same is made to a third party. When possession is taken under rule 8(1) and 8(2), the asset can be realised by way of assignment or sale, as has been held by us hereinabove. This being the case, it is clear that the right to transfer could be by way of lease, assignment or sale, depending upon which mode of transfer the secured creditor chooses for realising the secured asset. Also, the right to transfer by way of assignment or sale can only be exercised in accordance with rules 8 and 9 of the ....
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....ould possibly have for a completely different statutory setting, namely, that of the SARFAESI Act and the 2002 Rules thereunder. For the purpose of the Transfer of Property Act, a person acquiring immovable property shall be deemed to have notice of the title, if any, of any person who is for the time being in actual possession thereof. For the purpose of the SARFAESI Act read with the 2002 Rules, the taking of possession by a secured creditor of the secured asset of the borrower would include taking of possession in any of the modes prescribed under rule 8, as has been held by us hereinabove. This argument must also, therefore, be rejected. 20. We now come to some of the decisions of this Court. In Transcore v. Union of India & Anr., (2008) 1 SCC 125, this Court formulated the question which arose before it as follows: "1. A short question of public importance arises for determination, namely, whether withdrawal of OA in terms of the first proviso to Section 19(1) of the DRT Act, 1993 (inserted by amending Act 30 of 2004) is a condition precedent to taking recourse to the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 20....
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....he sale certificate under Rule 9, the authorised officer shall take such steps as he deems fit to preserve the secured asset. It is well settled that third-party interests are created overnight and in very many cases those third parties take up the defence of being a bona fide purchaser for value without notice. It is these types of disputes which are sought to be avoided by Rule 8 read with Rule 9 of the 2002 Rules. In the circumstances, the drawing of dichotomy between symbolic and actual possession does not find place in the scheme of the NPA Act read with the 2002 Rules." If the whole of paragraph 74 is read together with the extracted passage, it becomes clear that what is referred to in the extracted passage is the procedure provided by rule 8(3). It is clear that the authorised officer's powers, once possession is taken under rule 8(3), include taking of steps for preservation and protection of the secured assets which is referred to in the extracted portion. Thus, the final conclusion by the Bench, though general in nature, is really referable to possession that is taken under rule 8(3) of the 2002 Rules. Whether possession taken under rule 8(1) and 8(2) is called symbol....
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....o realise the amounts that are claimed by the secured creditor. 36.2. (ii) The second situation will arise where the secured creditor meets with resistance from the borrower after the notice under Rule 8(1) is given. In that case he will take recourse to the mechanism provided under Section 14 of the Act viz. making application to the Magistrate. The Magistrate will scrutinise the application as provided in Section 14, and then if satisfied, appoint an officer subordinate to him as provided under Section 14(1-A) to take possession of the assets and documents. For that purpose the Magistrate may authorise the officer concerned to use such force as may be necessary. After the possession is taken the assets and documents will be forwarded to the secured creditor. 36.3. (iii) The third situation will be one where the secured creditor approaches the Magistrate concerned directly under Section 14 of the Act. The Magistrate will thereafter scrutinise the application as provided in Section 14, and then if satisfied, authorise a subordinate officer to take possession of the assets and documents and forward them to the secured creditor as under clause 36.2.(ii) above. ....
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....public or by holding public auction. The only restriction is to give thirty days' time gap between such notice and the date of sale of the immovable secured asset." Though there was no focused argument on the controversy before us, this Court did recognise that possession may be taken over under rule 8 either symbolically or physically, making it clear that two separate modes for taking possession are provided for under rule 8. 23. Similarly, in ITC Limited v. Blue Coast Hotels Ltd. and Ors., AIR 2018 SC 3063, this Court held: "45. As noticed earlier, the creditor took over symbolic possession of the property on 20.06.2013. Thereupon, it transferred the property to the sole bidder ITC and issued a sale certificate for Rs. 515,44,01,000/- on 25.02.2015. On the same day, i.e., 25.02.2015, the creditor applied for taking physical possession of the secured assets under Section 14 of the Act. 46. According to the debtor, since Section 14 provides that an application for taking possession may be made by a secured creditor, and the creditor having ceased to be a secured creditor after the confirmation of sale in favour of the auction purchaser, was not entitled to ....
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.... intention is so expressed by the Act, as any transfer of a secured asset after taking possession thereof, shall vest in the transferee all rights in the secured asset so transferred as if the transfer had been made by the owner of such secured asset. It is clear, therefore, that statutorily, under section 13(6), though only the lesser right of taking possession, constructive or physical, has taken place, yet the secured creditor may, by lease, sale or assignment, vest in the lessee or purchaser all rights in the secured asset as if the transfer had been made by the original owner of such secured asset. This aspect of the matter does not appear to have been noticed in the aforesaid judgment. The ultimate conclusion in the said judgment is, however, correct as a secured creditor remains a secured creditor even after possession is taken over as the fiction contained in section 13(6) does not convert the secured creditor into the owner of the asset, but merely vests complete title in the transferee of the asset once transfer takes place in accordance with rules 8 and 9 of the 2002 Rules. 25. We may also add that by a notification dated 17.10.2018, rule 8 has since been amended addi....