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Thus, it is clear that Section 18 of the Limitation Act applies.

Balance-Sheets-Acknowledgment?

23. With regard to the Balance-Sheets, the Learned Counsel for the Respondent has relied on Judgment of larger Bench in the matter of "V. Padmakumar Vs. Stressed Assets Stabilisation Fund (SASF) & Anr." (Company Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) No. 57 of 2020).

24. In this regard, we find that there are various Judgements passed by various Hon'ble High Courts including High Court of Delhi which have dealt with the Balance Sheet/Annual Returns of Companies and where entries in the same have been treated as "acknowledgement of debt" and even accepted the same for the purpose of Section 18 of the Limitation Act, 1963.

However, on going through this judgment, one would clearly notice that it does not lay down the proposition which is sought to be advanced by the learned Counsel. That was a case where balance sheet was not confirmed or passed by the shareholders. The Court observed that such a balance sheet, before it could be relied upon, must be duly passed by the shareholders at the appropriate meeting and must be accompanied by a report, if any, made by the Directors for its validation. The principle of law laid down was that statement in the balance sheet indicating liability is to be read along with the Directors' report to see whether both so read would amount to an acknowledgement. There is no dispute about this proposition of law. However, in that case, the Court refused to accept entry in the balance sheet as acknowledgement of debt because of two reasons:

"In Daya Chand Uttam Prakash Jain vs. Santosh Devi Sharma 67 (1997) DLT 13, S.N. Kapoor J. applied the principle in a case where the primary question was whether a suit under Order 37 CPC could be filed on the basis of an acknowledgement. In Larsen & Tubro Ltd. v. Commercial Electric Works 67 (1997) DLT 387 a Single Judge of this Court observed that it is well settled that a balance sheet of a company, where the defendants had shown a particular amount as due to the plaintiff, would constitute an acknowledgement within the meaning of Section 18 of the Limitation Act. In Rishi Pal Gupta v. S.J. Knitting & Finishing Mills Pvt. Ltd. 73 (1998) DLT 593, the same view was taken. The last two decisions were cited by Geeta Mittal, J. in S.C. Gupta v. Allied Beverages Company Pvt. Ltd. (decided on 30/4/2007) and it was held that the acknowledgement made by a company in its balance sheet has the effect of extending the period of limitation for the purposes of Section Page | 49 Company Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) No. 690 of 2020 18 of the Limitation Act. In Ambika Mills Ltd. Ahmedabad v. CIT Gujarat (1964) 54 ITR 167, it was further held that a debt shown in a balance sheet of a company amounts to an acknowledgement for the purpose of Section 19 of the Limitation Act and in order to be so, the balance sheet in which such acknowledgement is made need not be addressed to the creditors. In light of these authorities, it must be held that in the present case, the disclosure by the assessee company in its balance sheet as on 31st March, 2002 of the accounts of the sundry creditors amounts to an acknowledgement of the debts in their favour for the purposes of Section 18 of the Limitation Act. The assessee's liability to the creditors, thus, subsisted and did not cease nor was it remitted by the creditors. The liability was enforceable in a court of law."

35. Thus, we find it is settled law appearing from the Judgements of the High Court of Delhi and other High Courts that Balance Sheets can be looked into to see if there is acknowledgement of debt. Perusing Judgements of Hon'ble Supreme Court we find that even Hon'ble Supreme Court has looked into Balance Sheets and Books of Account to see if there is Acknowledgement of Liability. If the amount borrowed is shown in the Balance Sheet, it may amount to Acknowledgement. We find that the Judgements of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India are binding and Balance Sheets cannot be outright ignored.