REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NO. 4776 OF 2019

(Arising out of Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 8591 of 2016)

STATE BANK OF INDIA … APPELLANT

VERSUS

M/S. JAH DEVELOPERS PVT. LTD. & ORS. … RESPONDENTS

WITH

CIVIL APPEAL NO. 4777 OF 2019

(Arising out of Special Leave Petition (Civil) No.10008 of 2017)

WITH

CIVIL APPEAL NO. 4778 OF 2019

(Arising out of Special Leave Petition (Civil) No.26329 of 2017)

JUDGMENT

R.F. NARIMAN, J.

1.Leave granted.

2.The question that arises in the present appeals is whether, when

a person is declared to be a wilful defaulter under the Circulars of the

Reserve Bank of India [“RBI”], such person is entitled to be

represented by a lawyer of its choice before such declaration is made.

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3.The RBI Circular dated 01.07.2013 is described as a “Master

Circular on Wilful Defaulters” [“Master Circular”] and is addressed to

all scheduled commercial banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks

(RRBs) and Local Area Banks (LABs)), and to All India Notified

Financial Institutions. The purpose of the said Master Circular is stated

as follows:

“Purpose:

To put in place a system to disseminate credit

information pertaining to wilful defaulters for cautioning

banks and financial institutions so as to ensure that

further bank finance is not made available to them.”

Under this Master Circular, “wilful default” has been defined as follows:

“2.1. Definition of wilful default

The term “wilful default” has been redefined in

supersession of the earlier definition as under:

A “wilful default” would be deemed to have occurred if

any of the following events is noted:-

(a)The unit has defaulted in meeting its

payment/repayment obligations to the

lender even when it has the capacity to

honour the said obligations.

(b)The unit has defaulted in meeting its

payment/repayment obligations to the

lender and has not utilised the finance from

the lender for the specific purposes for

which finance was availed of but has

diverted the funds for other purposes.

(c)The unit has defaulted in meeting its

payment/repayment obligations to the

lender and has siphoned off the funds so

that the funds have not been utilised for the

specific purpose for which finance was

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availed of, nor are the funds available with

the unit in the form of other assets.

(d)The unit has defaulted in meeting its

payment/repayment obligations to the

lender and has also disposed off or

removed the movable fixed assets or

immovable property given by him or it for

the purpose of securing a term loan without

the knowledge of the bank/lender.”

The Grievance Redressal Mechanism is set out in paragraph 3 of the

Master Circular as follows:

“3. Grievance Redressal Mechanism

Banks/FIs should take the following measures in

identifying and reporting instances of wilful default:

(i)With a view to imparting more objectivity in

identifying cases of wilful default, decisions

to classify the borrower as wilful defaulter

should be entrusted to a Committee of

higher functionaries headed by the

Executive Director and consisting of two

GMs/DGMs as decided by the Board of the

concerned bank/FI.

(ii)The decision taken on classification of

wilful defaulters should be well

documented and supported by requisite

evidence. The decision should clearly spell

out the reasons for which the borrower has

been declared as wilful defaulter vis-à-vis

RBI guidelines.

(iii)The borrower should thereafter be suitably

advised about the proposal to classify him

as wilful defaulter along with the reasons

therefor. The concerned borrower should

be provided reasonable time (say 15 days)

for making representation against such

decision, if he so desires, to a Grievance

Redressal Committee headed by the

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Chairman and Managing Director and

consisting of two other senior officials.

(iv)Further, the above Grievance Redressal

Committee should also give a hearing to

the borrower if he represents that he has

been wrongly classified as wilful defaulter.

(v)A final declaration as ‘wilful defaulter’

should be made after a view is taken by the

Committee on the representation and the

borrower should be suitably advised.”

4.On 01.07.2015, the RBI issued another Master Circular

consolidating instructions on how all scheduled commercial banks and

notified financial institutions are to deal with wilful defaulters [“Revised

Circular”]. The definition of “wilful default” is substantially the same as

in the earlier Master Circular. However, the mechanism for

identification of wilful defaulters has been substituted as follows:

“3. Mechanism for identification of Wilful Defaulters

The mechanism referred to in paragraph 2.5 above

should generally include the following:

(a)The evidence of wilful default on the part of

the borrowing company and its

promoter/whole-time director at the

relevant time should be examined by a

Committee headed by an Executive

Director or equivalent and consisting of two

other senior officers of the rank of

GM/DGM.

(b)If the Committee concludes that an event

of wilful default has occurred, it shall issue

a Show Cause Notice to the concerned

borrower and the promoter/whole-time

director and call for their submissions and

after considering their submissions issue

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an order recording the fact of wilful default

and the reasons for the same. An

opportunity should be given to the borrower

and the promoter/whole-time director for a

personal hearing if the Committee feels

such an opportunity is necessary.

(c)The order of the Committee should be

reviewed by another Committee headed by

the Chairman/Chairman & Managing

Director or the Managing Director & Chief

Executive Officer/CEOs and consisting, in

addition, to two independent directors/non-

executive directors of the bank and the

Order shall become final only after it is

confirmed by the said Review Committee.

However, if the identification Committee

does not pass an order declaring a

borrower as a wilful defaulter, then the

Review Committee need not be set up to

review such decisions.

xxx xxx xxx”

5.Considering that nobody appeared on behalf of the respondents

in the Civil Appeal arising out of SLP (C) No. 8591 of 2016, we

appointed Shri Parag Tripathi, learned Senior Advocate, to assist us as

Amicus Curiae. Shri Tripathi has forcefully argued that Section 30 of

the Advocates Act, 1961 [“Advocates Act”] makes it clear that an

advocate has the right to practice before any tribunal or person legally

authorised to take evidence. Secondly, he spoke about the

consequences, both civil and criminal, of being classified as a wilful

defaulter, and stated that as serious consequences ensue, the

fundamental right of the borrower under Article 19(1)(g) of the

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Constitution of India would be impacted, as a result of which, it would

be necessary to read into the aforesaid guidelines a right to be

represented by a lawyer. The only possible objection that banks can

have is that lawyers might unnecessarily delay the process of

declaration of a borrower as a wilful defaulter by seeking adjournments

and otherwise protracting arguments. He submitted that this can be

curtailed and it can be made clear that no adjournment under any

circumstances shall be given and a maximum period of half an hour for

argument may be given. According to him, the borrower may not be

competent to represent himself and issues of discrimination may also

arise. He therefore supported the impugned judgment of the Delhi

High Court in State Bank of India v. M/s. Jah Developers Pvt. Ltd.

and Ors., LPA No. 113 of 2015. He pointed out that the Bombay High

Court, in Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. v. Union of India and Ors., WP (L)

No. 1684 of 2015, and the Calcutta High Court, in Kingfisher Airlines

Ltd. v. Union of India and Ors., AST No. 320 of 2014, have taken a

different view which was not in consonance with the Delhi High Court’s

view and the Delhi High Court’s view ought to prevail. Shri Tripathi’s

submission was supported by Shri Rakesh Kumar, learned Advocate

appearing on behalf of the respondent in Civil Appeal arising out of

SLP (C) No. 10008 of 2017.

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6.On the other hand, Shri Neeraj Kishan Kaul and Shri B.B.

Sawhney, learned Senior Advocates appearing on behalf of the

appellants in Civil Appeals arising out of SLP (C.) No. 8591 of 2016

and SLP (C.) No. 10008 of 2017 respectively, and Shri Preetesh

Kapur, learned Senior Advocate appearing on behalf of the intervenor

in Civil Appeal arising out of SLP (C.) No. 26329 of 2017, cited a

number of judgments to show that the right to legal representation is

no part of the right of natural justice. They also assailed the judgment

of the Delhi High Court, stating that by no stretch of imagination could

the in-house committees referred to in the RBI Circulars be said to be

“tribunals” inasmuch as there is no investment of any judicial power by

the State in these in-house committees. They buttressed this

submission also by reference to several judgments. According to them,

therefore, the Calcutta and Bombay High Courts’ view is preferable to

the Delhi High Court’s view. It will be noted that the Master Circular

dated 01.07.2013 first entrusted cases of wilful default to a Committee

of higher functionaries, which Committee would then take a preliminary

decision which should be well documented and supported by evidence

[“First Committee”]. Thereafter, the concerned borrower should be

provided 15 days’ time for making a representation to the Grievance

Redressal Committee headed by the Chairman and the Managing

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Director and consisting of two other senior officers [“Review

Committee”]. Further, such Committee must give a hearing to the

borrower if he represents that he has been wrongly classified as a

wilful defaulter, and it is only after such hearing that a final declaration

as wilful defaulter should be made. On the other hand, the Revised

Circular dated 01.07.2015 circumscribes the right of borrowers, as

paragraph 3 of the Revised Circular replaces the aforesaid scheme by

making an Executive Director and two other senior officers examine

evidence of wilful default on the part of the borrower. If this Committee

finds that an event of wilful default has occurred, it should first issue a

show cause notice to the concerned borrower and call for his

submissions, and after considering his submissions, issue an order

recording the fact of wilful default and reasons for the same; a

personal hearing can be given only if the Committee feels that such

hearing is necessary. Thereafter, the order of the Committee is to be

reviewed by another Committee headed by the Chairman/Chairman

and Managing Director or CEO, in addition to two independent

directors/non-executive directors of the bank and the order will

become final only after it is confirmed by the said Review Committee.

7.It will be noted that whereas the earlier Master Circular dated

01.07.2013 granted a hearing before the Grievance Redressal

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Committee headed by the Chairman/Managing Director, and also

provided that the borrower should be provided 15 days’ time for

making a representation against the preliminary decision of the First

Committee, this situation does not now obtain. Under paragraph 3 of

the Revised Circular dated 01.07.2015, it is only at the first stage that

the First Committee is to issue a show cause notice and to consider

the submissions of the borrower, a discretion being left with the

aforesaid Committee to give or not to give a personal hearing. It may

be noticed that the Review Committee consisting of the higher officials

and independent directors is completely in-house. Neither does the

order of the First Committee have to be given to the borrower, nor is

any representation required against the aforesaid order, nor is there

any personal hearing before the Review Committee, which goes

through the First Committee’s order by itself and then comes to a

conclusion without involving the borrower at all.

8.At this stage, it is necessary to mention that serious

consequences follow after a person has been classified as a wilful

defaulter. These consequences are as follows:

(a)No additional facilities to be granted by any

bank/financial institution [paragraph 2.5(a)].

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(b)Entrepreneurs/Promoters would be barred

from institutional finance for a period of 5

years [paragraph 2.5(a)].

(c)Any legal proceedings can be initiated,

including criminal complaints [paragraph

2.5(b)].

(d)Banks and financial institutions to adopt

proactive approach in changing the

management of the wilful defaulter

[paragraph 2.5(c)].

(e)Promoter/Director of wilful defaulter shall

not be inducted by another borrowing

company [paragraph 2.5(d)].

(f)As per section 29A of the Insolvency and

Bankruptcy Code, 2016, a wilful defaulter

cannot be a resolution applicant.

9.It is in this background that we have to consider the question as

to whether a lawyer ought to be allowed to represent the borrower

before the First Committee and/or Review Committee under the

Revised Circular dated 01.07.2015.

10.Since the judgment of the Delhi High Court has held that the two

in-house committees can be considered to be tribunals, and that

therefore, a lawyer has the right to represent his client before such in-

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house committees, it is first necessary to determine whether these in-

house committees can be said to be tribunals for the purpose of

Section 30 of the Advocates Act. Section 30 of the Advocates Act

reads as follows:

“30. Right of advocates to practise.—Subject to the

provisions of this Act, every advocate whose name is

entered in the State roll shall be entitled as of right to

practise throughout the territories to which this Act

extends,—

(i)in all courts including the Supreme Court;

(ii)before any tribunal or person legally

authorised to take evidence; and

(iii)before any other authority or person before

whom such advocate is by or under any

law for the time being in force entitled to

practise.”

11.The impugned judgment has held that the expression “legally

authorised to take evidence” goes with the word “person” and not with

the word “tribunal”. While this may be correct, it is clear that before a

body can be said to be a “tribunal”, it must be invested with the judicial

power of the State to decide a lis which arises before it. This would

necessarily mean that all “tribunals” must be legally authorised to take

evidence by statute or subordinate legislation or otherwise, the judicial

power of the State vesting in such tribunal. This Court, in Jaswant

Sugar Mills Ltd., Meerut v. Lakshmi Chand and Ors., [1963] Supp

(1) SCR 242, held that a Conciliation Officer under clause 29 of an

11

Order promulgated under the U.P. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, has to

act judicially. However, he cannot be regarded as a “tribunal” within the

meaning of Article 136 of the Constitution of India as such tribunal

must be a body invested with the judicial power of the State, which a

Conciliation Officer was not so invested with. Similarly, in Engineering

Mazdoor Sabha and Anr. v. Hind Cycles Ltd., [1963] Supp (1) SCR

625, this Court held that an arbitrator appointed under Section 10-A of

the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 could not be said to be a tribunal

because the State has not invested him with judicial power. His

position may be stated to be higher than that of a private arbitrator, but

lower than that of a tribunal.

12.Similarly, in Associated Cement Companies Ltd. v. P.N.

Sharma and Anr., [1965] 2 SCR 366, this Court held that the State of

Punjab is a tribunal when it exercises its authority under Rule 6(6) of

the Punjab Welfare Officers Recruitment and Conditions of Service

Rules, 1952. Hence, an order passed by the State of Punjab would be

appealable, as the State of Punjab is a “tribunal” within the meaning of

Article 136(1) of the Constitution of India. The majority judgment,

through Gajendragadkar, C.J., held that the basic test is whether the

adjudicating power which a particular authority is empowered to

exercise, has been conferred on it by a statute and can be described

12

as a part of the State’s inherent power exercised in discharging its

judicial function, can be said to be satisfied on the facts of the case. In

a separate concurring judgment, Bachawat, J., held:

“44. An authority other than a Court may be vested by

statute with judicial power in widely different

circumstances, which it would be impossible and indeed

inadvisable to attempt to define exhaustively. The proper

thing is to examine each case as it arises, and to

ascertain whether the powers vested in the authority can

be truly described as judicial functions or judicial powers

of the State. For the purpose of this case, it is sufficient

to say that any outside authority empowered by the State

to determine conclusively the rights of two or more

contending parties with regard to any matter in

controversy between them satisfies the test of an

authority vested with the judicial powers of the State and

may be regarded as a tribunal within the meaning of

Article 136. Such a power of adjudication implies that the

authority must act judicially and must determine the

dispute by ascertainment of the relevant facts on the

materials before it and by application of the relevant law

to those facts. This test of a tribunal is not meant to be

exhaustive, and it may be that other bodies not satisfying

this test are also tribunals. In order to be a tribunal, it is

essential that the power of adjudication must be derived

from a statute or a statutory rule. An authority or body

deriving its power of adjudication from an agreement of

the parties, such as a private arbitrator or a tribunal

acting under Section 10-A of the Industrial Disputes Act,

1947, does not satisfy the test of a tribunal within Article

136. It matters little that such a body or authority is

vested with the trappings of a Court. The Arbitration Act,

1940 vests an arbitrator with some of the trappings of a

Court, so also the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 vests an

authority acting under Section 10-A of the Act with many

of such trappings, and yet, such bodies and authorities

are not tribunals.”

13

Applying the aforesaid tests to the facts of the present case, it cannot

be possibly said that either in-house committee appointed under the

Revised Circular dated 01.07.2015 is vested with the judicial power of

the State. The impugned judgment’s conclusion that such Circulars

have statutory force, as a result of which the State’s judicial power has

been vested in the two committees, is wholly incorrect. First and

foremost, the State’s judicial power, as understood by several

judgments of this Court, is the power to decide a lis between the

parties after gathering evidence and applying the law, as a result of

which, a binding decision is then reached. This is far from the present

case as the in-house committees are not vested with any judicial

power at all, their powers being administrative powers given to in-

house committees to gather facts and then arrive at a result. Secondly,

it cannot be said that the Circulars in any manner vests the State’s

judicial power in such in-house committees. On this ground, therefore,

the view of Delhi High Court is not correct, and no lawyer has any right

under Section 30 of the Advocates Act to appear before the in-house

committees so mentioned. Further, the said committees are also not

persons legally authorised to take evidence by statute or subordinate

legislation, and on this score also, no lawyer would have any right

under Section 30 of the Advocates Act to appear before the same.

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13.The next question that arises is whether an oral hearing is

required under the Revised Circular dated 01.07.2015. We have

already seen that the said Circular makes a departure from the earlier

Master Circular in that an oral hearing may only be given by the First

Committee at the first stage if it is so found necessary. Given the

scheme of the Revised Circular, it is difficult to state that oral hearing is

mandatory. It is even more difficult to state that in all cases oral

hearings must be given, or else the principles of natural justice are

breached. A number of judgments have held that natural justice is a

flexible tool that is used in order that a person or authority arrive at a

just result. Such result can be arrived at in many cases without oral

hearing but on written representations given by parties, after

considering which, a decision is then arrived at. Indeed, in a recent

judgment in Gorkha Security Services v. Govt. (NCT of Delhi) and

Ors., (2014) 9 SCC 105, this Court has held, in a blacklisting case,

that where serious consequences ensue, once a show cause notice is

issued and opportunity to reply is afforded, natural justice is satisfied

and it is not necessary to give oral hearing in such cases [see

paragraph 20].

15

14.When it comes to whether the borrower can, given the

consequences of being declared a wilful defaulter, be said to have a

right to be represented by a lawyer, the judgments of this Court have

held that there is no such unconditional right, and that it would all

depend on the facts and circumstances of each case, given the

governing rules and the fact situation of each case. Thus, in Mohinder

Singh Gill and Anr. v. Chief Election Commissioner, New Delhi

and Ors., (1978) 1 SCC 405, in the context of election law, this Court

held:

“63. In Wiseman v. Borneman [(1967) 3 All ER 1945]

there was a hint of the competitive claims of hurry and

hearing. Lord Reid said: “Even where the decision has to

be reached by a body acting judicially, there must be a

balance between the need for expedition and the need

to give full opportunity to the defendant to see material

against him” (emphasis added). We agree that the

elaborate and sophisticated methodology of a formalised

hearing may be injurious to promptitude so essential in

an election under way. Even so, natural justice is

pragmatically flexible and is amenable to capsulation

under the compulsive pressure of circumstances. To

burke it altogether may not be a stroke of fairness except

in very exceptional circumstances. Even in Wiseman

where all that was sought to be done was to see if there

was a prima facie case to proceed with a tax case

where, inevitably, a fuller hearing would be extended at a

later stage of the proceedings, Lord Reid, Lord Morris of

Borth-y-Gest and Lord Wilberforce suggested “that there

might be exceptional cases where to decide upon it ex

parte would be unfair, and it would be the duty of the

tribunal to take appropriate steps to eliminate unfairness”

(Lord Denning, M.R., in Howard v. Borneman [(1974) 3

16

WLR 660] summarised the observations of the Law

Lords in this form). No doctrinaire approach is desirable

but the Court must be anxious to salvage the cardinal

rule to the extent permissible in a given case. After all, it

is not obligatory that Counsel should be allowed to

appear nor is it compulsory that oral evidence should be

adduced. Indeed, it is not even imperative that written

statements should be called for. Disclosure of the

prominent circumstances and asking for an immediate

explanation orally or otherwise may, in many cases, be

sufficient compliance. It is even conceivable that an

urgent meeting with the concerned parties summoned at

an hour’s notice, or in a crisis, even a telephone call,

may suffice. ……”

(emphasis in original)

15.In Kavita v. State of Maharashtra and Ors. (I), (1981) 3 SCC

558 [“Kavita”], this Court held, in the context of preventive detention,

that even when a detenu makes a request for legal assistance before

the Advisory Board, the Advisory Board is vested with a discretion

whether to allow or disallow such legal assistance. This was despite

the fact that adequate legal assistance may be essential for the

protection of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty

guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution. On facts, it was held that

since the detenu had not made any request to the Advisory Board for

any such permission, the Court was not prepared to hold that the

detenu was denied the assistance of counsel so as to lead to the

conclusion that procedural fairness under Article 21 of the Constitution

17

was denied to him. Likewise, in Nand Lal Bajaj v. State of Punjab

and Anr., (1981) 4 SCC 327, this Court referred to Article 22(3)(b) of

the Constitution of India which states that the right to consult and be

defended by a legal practitioner of his choice is denied to a person

who is arrested or detained under any law providing for preventive

detention. This Court then went on to hold that normally, lawyers have

no place in proceedings before the Advisory Board, and then went on

to refer to Kavita (supra). It was finally held that since the detaining

authority was allowed to be represented by counsel before the

Advisory Board, whereas the detenu was not, the order of detention

would be quashed as this would be discriminatory.

16.In J.K. Aggarwal v. Haryana Seeds Development Corporation

Ltd. and Ors., (1991) 2 SCC 283, this Court, after discussing the case

law, held in paragraph 4, that the right of representation by a lawyer

cannot be held to be a part of natural justice. No general principle valid

in all cases can be enunciated. In the last analysis, a decision has to

be reached on a case to case basis on situational particularities and

the special requirements of justice of the case [see paragraph 8].

18

17.In Crescent Dyes and Chemicals Ltd. v. Ram Naresh

Tripathi, (1993) 2 SCC 115, this Court held that a workman under the

Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 has no right, under principles of natural

justice, that he must be represented by counsel. After discussing

several judgments, this Court concluded:

“12. From the above decisions of the English Courts it

seems clear to us that the right to be represented by a

counsel or agent of one's own choice is not an absolute

right and can be controlled, restricted or regulated by

law, rules or regulations. However, if the charge is of a

serious and complex nature, the delinquent's request to

be represented through a counsel or agent could be

conceded.

13. The law in India also does not concede an absolute

right of representation as an aspect of the right to be

heard, one of the elements of principle of natural justice.

It has been ruled by this Court in (i) Kalindi (N) v. Tata

Locomotive & Engineering Co. Ltd., Jamshedpur [(1960)

3 SCR 407 : AIR 1960 SC 914], (ii) Brooke Bond India

(P) Ltd. v. Subba Raman (S.) [(1961) 2 LLJ 417] and (iii)

Dunlop Rubber Co. v. Workmen [(1965) 2 SCR 139 : AIR

1965 SC 1392] that there is no right to representation as

such unless the company by its Standing Orders

recognises such a right.”

xxx xxx xxx

“17. It is, therefore, clear from the above case-law that

the right to be represented through counsel or agent can

be restricted, controlled or regulated by statute, rules,

regulations or Standing Orders. A delinquent has no right

to be represented through counsel or agent unless the

law specifically confers such a right. The requirement of

the rule of natural justice insofar as the delinquent's right

of hearing is concerned, cannot and does not extend to a

right to be represented through counsel or agent. In the

instant case the delinquent's right of representation was

regulated by the Standing Orders which permitted a clerk

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or a workman working with him in the same department

to represent him and this right stood expanded on

Sections 21 and 22(ii) permitting representation through

an officer, staff-member or a member of the union, albeit

on being authorised by the State Government. The

object and purpose of such provisions is to ensure that

the domestic enquiry is completed with despatch and is

not prolonged endlessly. Secondly, when the person

defending the delinquent is from the department or

establishment in which the delinquent is working he

would be well conversant with the working of that

department and the relevant rules and would, therefore,

be able to render satisfactory service to the delinquent.

Thirdly, not only would the entire proceedings be

completed quickly but also inexpensively. It is, therefore,

not correct to contend that the Standing Order or Section

22(ii) of the Act conflicts with the principles of natural

justice.”

18.In D.G., Railway Protection Force and Ors. v. K. Raghuram

Babu, (2008) 4 SCC 406, this Court, in the context of a

domestic/departmental enquiry held:

“9. It is well settled that ordinarily in a

domestic/departmental enquiry the person accused of

misconduct has to conduct his own case vide N. Kalindi

v. Tata Locomotive and Engg. Co. Ltd. [AIR 1960 SC

914]. Such an inquiry is not a suit or criminal trial where

a party has a right to be represented by a lawyer. It is

only if there is some rule which permits the accused to

be represented by someone else, that he can claim to be

so represented in an inquiry vide Brooke Bond India (P)

Ltd. v. Subba Raman [(1961) 2 LLJ 417 (SC)].

10. Similarly, in Cipla Ltd. v. Ripu Daman Bhanot [(1999)

4 SCC 188 : 1999 SCC (L&S) 847] it was held by this

Court that representation could not be claimed as of

right. This decision followed the earlier decision Bharat

Petroleum Corpn. Ltd. v. Maharashtra General Kamgar

20

Union [(1999) 1 SCC 626 : 1999 SCC (L&S) 361] in

which the whole case law has been reviewed by this

Court.

11. Following the above decision it has to be held that

there is no vested or absolute right in any charge-

sheeted employee to representation either through a

counsel or through any other person unless the statute

or rules/standing orders provide for such a right.

Moreover, the right to representation through someone,

even if granted by the rules, can be granted as a

restricted or controlled right. Refusal to grant

representation through an agent does not violate the

principles of natural justice.”

Ultimately, the Court upheld the validity of Rule 153.8 of the Railway

Protection Force Rules, 1987, which permitted a friend to accompany

a delinquent, who will not, however, be allowed to address the inquiry

officer or be allowed to cross-examine witnesses.

19.It has also been argued before us that the present case, being a

case where “wilful default” consists of facts which are known to the

borrower, and as “wilful default” would only be the borrower’s version

of facts, no lawyer is needed as no complicated questions of law need

to be presented before the in-house committees. Thus, in Krishna

Chandra Tandon v. Union of India, (1974) 4 SCC 374, this Court

held:

“17. It was next argued that the appellant had asked for

the assistance of an advocate but the same was refused.

21

It was submitted that having regard to the intricacies of

the case and particularly the ill-health of the appellant, he

should have been given the assistance of an advocate,

and since that was not given there was no reasonable

opportunity to defend. The High Court has rejected this

submission and we think for good reasons. The appellant

was not entitled under the Rules to the assistance of an

advocate during the course of the enquiry. The learned

Judges were right in pointing out that all that the

appellant had to do in the course of the enquiry was to

defend the correctness of his assessment orders. Clear

indications had been given in the charges with regard to

the unusual conduct he displayed in disposing of the

assessment cases and the various flaws and defaults

which were apparent on the face of the assessment

records themselves. The appellant was the best person

to give proper explanations. The circumstances in the

evidence against him were clearly put to him and he had

to give his explanation. An advocate could have hardly

helped him in this. It was not a case where oral evidence

was recorded with reference to accounts and the

petitioner required the services of a trained lawyer for

cross-examining the witnesses. There was no legal

complexity in the case. We do not, therefore, accede to

the contention that the absence of a lawyer deprived the

appellant of a reasonable opportunity to defend himself.”

20.Also, in National Seeds Corporation Ltd. v. K.V. Rama Reddy,

(2006) 11 SCC 645, this Court laid down:

“7. The law in this country does not concede an absolute

right of representation to an employee in domestic

enquiries as part of his right to be heard and that there is

no right to representation by somebody else unless the

rules or regulation and standing orders, if any, regulating

the conduct of disciplinary proceedings specifically

recognise such a right and provide for such

representation: see Kalindi v. Tata Locomotive & Engg.

Co. Ltd. [(1960) 3 SCR 407 : AIR 1960 SC 914], Dunlop

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Rubber Co. v. Workmen [(1965) 2 SCR 139 : AIR 1965

SC 1392], Crescent Dyes and Chemicals Ltd. v. Ram

Naresh Tripathi [(1993) 2 SCC 115 : 1993 SCC (L&S)

360] and Indian Overseas Bank v. Officers’ Assn. [(2001)

9 SCC 540 : 2002 SCC (L&S) 1043].”

The Court then held:

“10. Learned counsel for the appellant Corporation has

brought to our notice office memorandum dated 21-11-

2003 by which the prayer to engage a legal practitioner

to act as a defence assistant was rejected. Reference

was made to the Rules, though no specific reference has

been made to the discretion available to be exercised in

particular circumstances of a case. The same has to be

noted in the background of the basis of prayer made for

the purpose. The reasons indicated by the respondent

for the purpose were: (a) amount alleged to have been

misappropriated is Rs 63.67 lakhs, (b) a number of

documents and number of witnesses are relied on by the

respondent, and (c) the prayer for availing services of the

retired employee has been rejected and the respondent

is unable to get any assistance to get any other able co-

worker. None of these factors are really relevant for the

purpose of deciding as to whether he should be granted

permission to engage the legal practitioner. As noted

earlier, he had to explain the factual position with

reference to the documents sought to be utilised against

him. A legal practitioner would not be in a position to

assist the respondent in this regard. It has not been

shown as to how a legal practitioner would be in a better

position to assist the respondent so far as the documents

in question are concerned. As a matter of fact, he would

be in a better position to explain and throw light on the

question of acceptability or otherwise and the relevance

of the documents in question. The High Court has not

considered these aspects and has been swayed by the

fact that the respondent was physically handicapped

person and the amount involved is very huge. As option

to be assisted by another employee is given to the

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respondent, he was in no way prejudiced by the refusal

to permit engagement of a legal practitioner. The High

Court's order is, therefore, unsustainable and is set

aside.”

21.Given the above conspectus of case law, we are of the view that

there is no right to be represented by a lawyer in the in-house

proceedings contained in paragraph 3 of the Revised Circular dated

01.07.2015, as it is clear that the events of wilful default as mentioned

in paragraph 2.1.3 would only relate to the individual facts of each

case. What has typically to be discovered is whether a unit has

defaulted in making its payment obligations even when it has the

capacity to honour the said obligations; or that it has borrowed funds

which are diverted for other purposes, or siphoned off funds so that the

funds have not been utilised for the specific purpose for which the

finance was made available. Whether a default is intentional,

deliberate, and calculated is again a question of fact which the lender

may put to the borrower in a show cause notice to elicit the borrower’s

submissions on the same. However, we are of the view that Article

19(1)(g) is attracted in the facts of the present case as the moment a

person is declared to be a wilful defaulter, the impact on its

fundamental right to carry on business is direct and immediate. This is

for the reason that no additional facilities can be granted by any

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bank/financial institutions, and entrepreneurs/promoters would be

barred from institutional finance for five years. Banks/financial

institutions can even change the management of the wilful defaulter,

and a promoter/director of a wilful defaulter cannot be made promoter

or director of any other borrower company. Equally, under Section 29A

of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, a wilful defaulter cannot

even apply to be a resolution applicant. Given these drastic

consequences, it is clear that the Revised Circular, being in public

interest, must be construed reasonably. This being so, and given the

fact that paragraph 3 of the Master Circular dated 01.07.2013

permitted the borrower to make a representation within 15 days of the

preliminary decision of the First Committee, we are of the view that

first and foremost, the Committee comprising of the Executive Director

and two other senior officials, being the First Committee, after

following paragraph 3(b) of the Revised Circular dated 01.07.2015,

must give its order to the borrower as soon as it is made. The borrower

can then represent against such order within a period of 15 days to the

Review Committee. Such written representation can be a full

representation on facts and law (if any). The Review Committee must

then pass a reasoned order on such representation which must then

be served on the borrower. Given the fact that the earlier Master

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Circular dated 01.07.2013 itself considered such steps to be

reasonable, we incorporate all these steps into the Revised Circular

dated 01.07.2015. The impugned judgment is, therefore, set aside,

and the appeals are allowed in terms of our judgment. We thank the

learned Amicus Curiae, Shri Parag Tripathi, for his valuable assistance

to this Court.

…………………………J.

(R.F. Nariman)

…………………………J.

New Delhi (Vineet Saran)

May 08, 2019.

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