valid as on 28/03/2024

Section 235. Power to acquire shares of shareholders dissenting from scheme or contract approved by majority
Effective from 15-12-2016

(1) Where a scheme or contract involving the transfer of  or any class of shares in a company (the transferor company) to another company (the transferee company) has, within four months after making of an offer in that behalf by the transferee company, been approved by the holders of not less than nine-tenths in value of the shares whose transfer is involved, other than shares already held at the date of the offer by, or by a nominee of the transferee company or its , the transferee company may, at any time within two months after the expiry of the said four months, give notice in the to any dissenting shareholder that it desires to acquire his shares.

(2) Where a notice under sub-section (1) is given, the transferee company shall, unless on an application made by the dissenting shareholder to the , within one month from the date on which the notice was given and the Tribunal thinks fit to order otherwise, be entitled to and bound to acquire those shares on the terms on which, under the scheme or contract, the shares of the approving shareholders are to be transferred to the transferee company.

(3) Where a notice has been given by the transferee company under sub-section (1) and the Tribunal has not, on an application made by the dissenting shareholder, made an order to the contrary, the transferee company shall, on the expiry of one month from the date on which the notice has been given, or, if an application to the Tribunal by the dissenting shareholder is then pending, after that application has been disposed of, send a copy of the notice to the transferor company together with an instrument of transfer, to be executed on behalf of the shareholder by any person appointed by the transferor company and on its own behalf by the transferee company, and pay or transfer to the transferor company the amount or other consideration representing the price payable by the transferee company for the shares which, by virtue of this section, that company is entitled to acquire, and the transferor company shall—

(a) thereupon register the transferee company as the holder of those shares; and

(b) within one month of the date of such registration, inform the dissenting shareholders of the fact of such registration and of the receipt of the amount or other consideration representing the price payable to them by the transferee company.

(4) Any sum received by the transferor company under this section shall be paid into a separate bank account, and any such sum and any other consideration so received shall be held by that company in trust for the several persons entitled to the shares in respect of which the said sum or other consideration were respectively received and shall be disbursed to the entitled shareholders within sixty days.

(5) In relation to an offer made by a transferee company to shareholders of a transferor company before the commencement of this Act, this section shall have effect with the following modifications, namely:—

(a) in sub-section (1), for the words “the shares whose transfer is involved other than shares already held at the date of the offer by, or by a nominee of, the transferee company or its subsidiaries,”, the words “the shares affected” shall be substituted; and

(b) in sub-section (3), the words “together with an instrument of transfer, to be executed on behalf of the shareholder by any person appointed by the transferee company and on its own behalf by the transferor company” shall be omitted.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, “dissenting shareholder” includes a shareholder who has not assented to the scheme or contract and any shareholder who has failed or refused to transfer his shares to the transferee company in accordance with the scheme or contract.

2(84) Share means a share in the share capital of a company and includes stock
2(87) Subsidiary Company or Subsidiary, in relation to any other company (that is to say the holding company), means a company in which the holding company—

(i) controls the composition of the Board of Directors; or

(ii) exercises or controls more than one-half of the total voting power either at its own or together with one or more of its subsidiary companies:

Provided that such class or classes of holding companies as may be prescribed shall not have layers of subsidiaries beyond such numbers  as may be prescribed.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause,—

(a) a company shall be deemed to be a subsidiary company of the holding company even if the control referred to in sub-clause (i) or sub-clause (ii) is of another subsidiary company of the holding company;

(b) the composition of a company’s Board of Directors shall be deemed to be controlled by another company if that other company by exercise of some power exercisable by it at its discretion can appoint or remove all or a majority of the directors;

(c) the expression “company” includes any body corporate;

(d) “layer” in relation to a holding company means its subsidiary or subsidiaries.

Refer rule 26 of Companies (Compromises, Arrangements and Amalgamations) Rules, 2016. To view the rule,Click Here
2(90) Tribunal means the National Company Law Tribunal constituted under section 408

15.1.26- Companies (Compromises, Arrangements and Amalgamations) Rules, 2016

26. Notice to dissenting shareholders for acquiring the shares.— For the purposes of sub-section (1) of section 235 of the Act, the transferee company shall send a notice to the dissenting shareholder(s) of the transferor company, in at the last intimated address of such shareholder, for acquiring the shares of such dissenting shareholders.

SCHEDULE OF FEES
S. No.Sections of the
Companies Act, 2013
Rule
Number
Nature of application or petitionFees
1Sub-section (1) of section 2303 (1)Application for compromise arrangement and amalgamation.Rs. 5,000/-
1Sub-section (1) of section 2303Application for compromise arrangement and amalgamation*

*Substituted vide notification on Companies (Compromises, Arrangements and Amalgamations) Amendment Rules,2020 dated 03.02.2020. To view the notification Click Here
Rs. 5,000/-
2Sub-section (2) of section 235Application by dissenting shareholdersRs. 1,000/-
3Sub-section (2) of section 23829Appeal against order of Registrar refusing to register any circular.Rs. 2,000/-

— (1) The company shall within two weeks from the date of receipt of the amount equal to the price of shares to be acquired by the acquirer, under section 236 of the Act, verify the details of the minority shareholders holding shares in dematerialised form.

(2) After verification under sub-rule (1), the company shall send notice to such minority shareholders by registered post or by speed post or by courier or by email about a cut-off date, which shall not be earlier than one month after the date of sending of the notice, on which the shares of minority shareholders shall be debited from their account and credited to the designated DEMAT account of the company, unless the shares are credited in the account of the acquirer, as specified in such notice, before the cut-off date.

(3) A copy of the notice served to the minority shareholders under sub-rule (2), shall also be published simultaneously in two widely circulated newspapers (one in English and one in vernacular language) in the district in which the registered office of the company is situated and also be uploaded on the website of the company, if any.

(4)The company shall inform the depository immediately after publication of the notice under subrule (3) regarding the cut-off date and submit the following declarations stating that:-

(a) the corporate action is being effected in pursuance of the provisions of section 236 of the Act;

(b) the minority shareholders whose shares are held in dematerialised form have been informed about the corporate action [a copy of the notice served to such shareholders and published in the newspapers to be attached];

(c) the minority shareholders shall be paid by the company immediately after completion of corporate action;

(d) any dispute or complaints arising out of such corporate action shall be the sole responsibility of the company.

(5) For the purposes of effecting transfer of shares through corporate action, the Board shall authorise the Company Secretary, or in his absence any other person, to inform the depository under sub-rule (4), and to submit the documents as may be required under the said sub-rule.

(6) Upon receipt of information under sub-rule (4), the depository shall make the transfer of shares of the minority shareholders, who have not, on their own, transferred their shares in favour of the acquirer, into the designated DEMAT account of the company on the cut-off date and intimate the company.

(7) After receiving the intimation of successful transfer of shares from the depository under sub-rule (6), the company shall immediately disburse the price of the shares so transferred, to each of the minority shareholders after deducting the applicable stamp duty, which shall be paid by the company, on behalf of the minority shareholders, in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 (2 of 1899).

(8) Upon successful payment to the minority shareholders under sub-rule (7), the company shall inform the depository to transfer the shares of such shareholders, kept in the designated DEMAT account of the company, to the DEMAT account of the acquirer.

Explanation. – The company shall continue to disburse payment to the entitled shareholders, where disbursement could not be made within the specified time, and transfer the shares to the DEMAT account of acquirer after such disbursement.

(9) In case, where there is a specific order of Court or Tribunal, or statutory authority restraining any transfer of such shares and payment of dividend, or where such shares are pledged or hypothecated under the provisions of the Depositories Act, 1996 (22 of 1996), the depository shall not transfer the shares of the minority shareholders to the designated DEMAT account of the company under
sub-rule (6).

Explanation. – For the purposes of this rule, if ―cut-off date‖ falls on a holiday, the next working day shall be deemed to be the ―cut-off date.

To view the return,Click Here
Inserted vide the Companies (Compromises, Arrangements and Amalgamations) Second Amendment Rules, 2020 dated 17.12.2020. To view the Notification, Click Here

Companies (Compromises, Arrangements and Amalgamations) Second Amendment Rules, 2020 dated 17.12.2020


Enforcement Notification S.O. 3677(E) dated 07/12/2016


Form No CAA.14- Notice to dissenting shareholders


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