Companies Act, 1956
Sec 391 - Power to compromise or make arrangements with
creditors and members.
(1) Where a compromise or arrangement is
proposed
(a) between a company and its creditors or any
class of them ; or
(b) between a company and its members or any
class of them ;
the Court may, on the application of the
company or of any creditor or member of the company, or, in the case of a
company which is being wound up, of the liquidator, order a meeting of the
creditors or class of creditors, or of the members or class of members, as the
case may be, to be called, held and conducted in such manner as the Court
directs.
(2) If a majority in number representing
three-fourths in value of the creditors, or class of creditors, or members, or
class of members, as the case may be, present and voting either in person or,
where proxies are allowed under the rules made under section 643, by proxy, at
the meeting, agree to any compromise or arrangement, the compromise or
arrangement shall, if sanctioned by the Court, be binding on all the creditors,
all the creditors of the class, all the members, or all the members of the
class, as the case may be, and also on the company, or, in the case of a
company which is being wound up, on the liquidator and contributories of the
company :
Provided that no order sanctioning any
compromise or arrangement shall be made by the Court unless the Court is
satisfied that the company or any other person by whom an application has been
made under sub-section (1) has disclosed to the Court, by affidavit or
otherwise, all material facts relating to the company, such as the latest
financial position of the company, the latest auditor's report on the accounts
of the company, the pendency of any investigation proceedings in relation to
the company under sections 235 to 251, and the like.
(3) An order made by the Court under
sub-section (2) shall have no effect until a certified copy of the order has
been filed with the Registrar.
(4) A copy of every such order shall be
annexed to every copy of the memorandum of the company issued after the
certified copy of the order has been filed as aforesaid, or in the case of a
company not having a memorandum, to every copy so issued of the instrument
constituting or defining the constitution of the company.
(5) If default is made in complying with
sub-section (4), the company, and every officer of the company who is in
default, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees
for each copy in respect of which default is made.
(6) The Court may, at any time after an
application has been made to it under this section, stay the commencement or
continuation of any suit or proceeding against the company on such terms as the
Court thinks fit, until the application is finally disposed of.
(7) An appeal shall lie from any order made by
a Court exercising original jurisdiction under this section to the Court
empowered to hear appeals from the decisions of that Court, or if more than one
Court is so empowered, to the Court of inferior jurisdiction.
The provisions of sub-sections (3) to (6) shall apply in
relation to the appellate order and the appeal as they apply in relation to the
original order and the application.