Companies Act, 1956
Sec 108B -
Restriction on transfer of shares.
(1) Every body corporate or bodies corporate
under the same management, holding, whether singly or in the aggregate, ten per
cent or more of the nominal value of the subscribed equity share capital of any
other company shall, before transferring one or more of such shares, give to
the Central Government an intimation of its or their proposal to transfer such
share, and every such intimation shall include a statement as to the
particulars of the share proposed to be transferred, the name and address of
the person to whom the share is proposed to be transferred, the shareholding,
if any, of the proposed transferee in the concerned company and such other
particulars as may be prescribed.
(2) Where, on receipt of an intimation given
under sub-section (1) or otherwise, the Central Government is satisfied that as
a result of such transfer, a change in the composition of the board of
directors of the company is likely to take place and that such change would be
prejudicial to the interests of the company or to the public interest, it may,
by order, direct that :
(a) no such share shall be transferred to the
proposed transferee :
Provided that no such order shall preclude the
body corporate or bodies corporate from intimating, in accordance with the
provisions of sub-section (1), to the Central Government its or their proposal
to transfer the share to any other person, or
(b) where such share is held in company
engaged in any industry specified in Schedule XV, such share shall be
transferred to the Central Government or to such corporation owned or
controlled by that Government as may be specified in the direction.
(3) Where a direction is made by the Central
Government under clause (b) of sub-section (2), the share referred to in such
direction shall stand transferred to the Central Government or to the
corporation specified therein, and the Central Government or the specified
corporation, as the case may be, shall pay, in cash, to the body corporate or
bodies corporate from which such share stands transferred, an amount equal to
the market value of such share, within the time specified in sub-section (4).
Explanation. : In this sub-section,
" market value " means, in the case of a share which is quoted on any
recognized stock exchange, the value quoted at such stock exchange on the date
immediately preceding the date on which the direction is made, and, in any
other case, such value as may be mutually agreed upon between the holder of the
share and the Central Government or the specified corporation, as the case may
be, or in the absence of such agreement, as may be determined by the court.
(4) The market value referred to in
sub-section (3) shall be given forthwith, where there is no dispute as to such
value or where such value has been mutually agreed upon, but where there is a
dispute as to the market value, such value as is estimated by the Central
Government or the corporation, as the case may be, shall be given forthwith and
the balance, if any, shall be given within thirty days from the date when the
market value is determined by the court.
(5) If the Central Government does not make
any direction under sub-section (2) within sixty days from the date of receipt
by it of the intimation given under sub-section (1), the provisions contained
in sub-section (2) with regard to the transfer of such share shall not apply.