5.1.7-Companies (Acceptance of Deposits) Rules, 2014
7. Appointment of trustee for depositors.-
(1) No company referred to in sub-section (2) of section 73 or any eligible company shall issue a circular or advertisement inviting secured deposits unless the company has appointed one or more trustees for depositors for creating security for the deposits:
Provided that a written consent shall be obtained from the trustee for depositors before their appointment and a statement shall appear in the circular or circular in the form of advertisement with reasonable prominence to the effect that the trustees for depositors have given their consent to the company to be so appointed.
(2) The company shall execute a deposit trust deed in at least seven days before issuing the circular or circular in the form of advertisement.
(3) No person including a company that is in the business of providing trusteeship services shall be appointed as a trustee for the depositors, if the proposed trustee –
(a) is a director, key managerial personnel or any other officer or an employee of the company or of its holding, subsidiary or or a depositor in the company;
(b) is indebted to the company, or its subsidiary or its holding or associate company or a subsidiary of such holding company;
(c) has any material pecuniary relationship with the company;
(d) has entered into any guarantee arrangement in respect of principal debts secured by the deposits or interest thereon;
(e) is related to any person specified in clause (a) above.
(4) No trustee for depositors shall be removed from office after the issue of circular or advertisement and before the expiry of his term except with the consent of all the directors present at a meeting of the board.
Provided that in case the company is required to have independent directors, at least one independent director shall be present in such meeting of the Board
Explanation.—For the purpose of this clause—
(a) the expression “significant influence” means control of at least twenty per cent. of total voting power, or control of or participation in business decisions under an agreement;
(b) the expression “joint venture” means a joint arrangement whereby the parties that have joint control of the arrangement have rights to the net assets of the arrangement;