(Chapter I)|(Chapter II)|(Chapter III)|(Chapter IV)|(Chapter V)|(Chapter VI)|(Chapter VII)|(Chapter VIII)|(Chapter IX)|(Chapter X)|(Chapter XI)|(Chapter XII)|(Chapter XIII)|(Chapter XIV)|(Chapter XV)|(Chapter XVI)|(Chapter XVII)|(Chapter XIX)|(Chapter XX)|(Chapter XXI)|(Chapter XXII)|(Chapter XXIII)|(Chapter XXV)|(Chapter XXVIII)|(SCHEDULE I)|(SCHEDULE II)|(SCHEDULE III)|(SCHEDULE IV)|(SCHEDULE V)|(SCHEDULE VI)|(SCHEDULE VII)
Chapter VI – REGISTRATION OF CHARGES
Section 77 – Duty to register charges, etc.
(1) It shall be the duty of every company creating a charge within or outside India, on its property or assets or any of its undertakings, whether tangible or otherwise, and situated in or outside India, to register the particulars of the charge signed by the company and the charge-holder together with the instruments, if any, creating such charge in such form, on payment of such fees and in such manner as may be prescribed, with the Registrar within thirty days of its creation:
Provided that the Registrar may, on an application by the company, allow such registration to be made within a period of three hundred days of such creation on payment of such additional fees as may be prescribed:
Provided further that if registration is not made within a period of three hundred days of such creation, the company shall seek extension of time in accordance with section 87:
Provided also that any subsequent registration of a charge shall not prejudice any right acquired in respect of any property before the charge is actually registered.
(2) Where a charge is registered with the Registrar under sub-section (1), he shall issue a certificate of registration of such charge in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed to the company and, as the case may be, to the person in whose favour the charge is created.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, no charge created by a company shall be taken into account by the liquidator or any other creditor unless it is duly registered under sub-section (1) and a certificate of registration of such charge is given by the Registrar under sub-section (2).
(4) Nothing in sub-section (3) shall prejudice any contract or obligation for the repayment of the money secured by a charge.
Section 78 – Application for registration of charge
Where a company fails to register the charge within the period specified in section 77, without prejudice to its liability in respect of any offence under this Chapter, the person in whose favour the charge is created may apply to the Registrar for registration of the charge along with the instrument created for the charge, within such time and in such form and manner as may be prescribed and the Registrar may, on such application, within a period of fourteen days after giving notice to the company, unless the company itself registers the charge or shows sufficient cause why such charge should not be registered, allow such registration on payment of such fees, as may be prescribed:
Provided that where registration is effected on application of the person in whose favour the charge is created, that person shall be entitled to recover from the company the amount of any fees or additional fees paid by him to the Registrar for the purpose of registration of charge.
Section 79 – Section 77 to apply in certain matters
The provisions of section 77 relating to registration of charges shall, so far as may be, apply to–
(a) a company acquiring any property subject to a charge within the meaning of that section; or
(b) any modification in the terms or conditions or the extent or operation of any charge registered under that section.
Section 80 – Date of notice of charge
Where any charge on any property or assets of a company or any of its undertakings is registered under section 77, any person acquiring such property, assets, undertakings or part thereof or any share or interest therein shall be deemed to have notice of the charge from the date of such registration.
Section 81 – Register of charges to be kept by Registrar
(1) The Registrar shall, in respect of every company, keep a register containing particulars of the charges registered under this Chapter in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed.
(2) A register kept in pursuance of this section shall be open to inspection by any person on payment of such fees as may be prescribed for each inspection.
Section 82 – Company to report satisfaction of charge
(1) A company shall give intimation to the Registrar in the prescribed form, of the payment or satisfaction in full of any charge registered under this Chapter within a period of thirty days from the date of such payment or satisfaction and the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 77 shall, as far as may be, apply to an intimation given under this section.
(2) The Registrar shall, on receipt of intimation under sub-section (1), cause a notice to be sent to the holder of the charge calling upon him to show cause within such time not exceeding fourteen days, as may be specified in such notice, as to why payment or satisfaction in full should not be recorded as intimated to the Registrar, and if no cause is shown, by such holder of the charge, the Registrar shall order that a memorandum of satisfaction shall be entered in the register of charges kept by him under section 81 and shall inform the company that he has done so:
Provided that the notice referred to in this sub-section shall not be required to be sent, in case the intimation to the Registrar in this regard is in the specified form and signed by the holder of charge.
(3) If any cause is shown, the Registrar shall record a note to that effect in the register of charges and shall inform the company.
(4) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect the powers of the Registrar to make an entry in the register of charges under section 83 or otherwise than on receipt of an intimation from the company.
Section 83 – Power of Registrar to make entries of satisfaction and release in absence of intimation from company
(1) The Registrar may, on evidence being given to his satisfaction with respect to any registered charge,–
(a) that the debt for which the charge was given has been paid or satisfied in whole or in part; or
(b) that part of the property or undertaking charged has been released from the charge or has ceased to form part of the company’s property or undertaking,
enter in the register of charges a memorandum of satisfaction in whole or in part, or of the fact that part of the property or undertaking has been released from the charge or has ceased to form part of the company’s property or undertaking, as the case may be, notwithstanding the fact that no intimation has been received by him from the company.
(2) The Registrar shall inform the affected parties within thirty days of making the entry in the register of charges kept under sub-section (1) of section 81.
Section 84 – Intimation of appointment of receiver or manager
(1) If any person obtains an order for the appointment of a receiver of, or of a person to manage, the property, subject to a charge, of a company or if any person appoints such receiver or person under any power contained in any instrument, he shall, within a period of thirty days from the date of the passing of the order or of the making of the appointment, give notice of such appointment to the company and the Registrar along with a copy of the order or instrument and the Registrar shall, on payment of the prescribed fees, register particulars of the receiver, person or instrument in the register of charges.
(2) Any person appointed under sub-section (1) shall, on ceasing to hold such appointment, give to the company and the Registrar a notice to that effect and the Registrar shall register such notice.
Section 85 – Company’s register of charges
(1) Every company shall keep at its registered office a register of charges in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed, which shall include therein all charges and floating charges affecting any property or assets of the company or any of its undertakings, indicating in each case such particulars as may be prescribed:
Provided that a copy of the instrument creating the charge shall also be kept at the registered office of the company along with the register of charges.
(2) The register of charges and instrument of charges, kept under sub-section (1) shall be open for inspection during business hours–
(a) by any member or creditor without any payment of fees; or
(b) by any other person on payment of such fees as may be prescribed,
subject to such reasonable restrictions as the company may, by its articles, impose.
Section 86 – Punishment for contravention
If any company contravenes any provision of this Chapter, the company shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but which may extend to ten lakh rupees and every officer of the company who is in default shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which shall not be less than twenty-five thousand rupees but which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both.
Section 87 – Rectification by Central Government in register of charges
(1) The Central Government on being satisfied that–
(i) (a) the omission to file with the Registrar the particulars of any charge created by a company or any charge subject to which any property has been acquired by a company or any modification of such charge; or
(b) the omission to register any charge within the time required under this Chapter or the omission to give intimation to the Registrar of the payment or the satisfaction of a charge, within the time required under this Chapter; or
(c) the omission or mis-statement of any particular with respect to any such charge or modification or with respect to any memorandum of satisfaction or other entry made in pursuance of section 82 or section 83,
was accidental or due to inadvertence or some other sufficient cause or it is not of a nature to prejudice the position of creditors or shareholders of the company; or
(ii) on any other grounds, it is just and equitable to grant relief,
it may on the application of the company or any person interested and on such terms and conditions as it may seem to the Central Government just and expedient, direct that the time for the filing of the particulars or for the registration of the charge or for the giving of intimation of payment or satisfaction shall be extended or, as the case may require, that the omission or mis-statement shall be rectified.
(2) Where the Central Government extends the time for the registration of a charge, the order shall not prejudice any rights acquired in respect of the property concerned before the charge is actually registered.
