12. The effect of provision for payment in the balance sheet would
be the next key point for consideration. The learned counsel for the
petitioner refers me to the accounting standard already detailed above where
it is more in keeping with probity of the financial dealings and making
available to people the knowledge of the contingent liabilities. This point
has been answered according to the learned counsel for the respondent in
Walnut Packaging Private Limited vs. The Sirpur Paper Mills Limited
and Anr. reported in 2008 (144) Company Cases 454 (AP) where the
Andhra Pradesh High Court considered the effect of the statement and
balance sheet and found that even for the purpose of extending the period of
limitation under Section 18 of the Limitation Act, it could not be termed as
acknowledgment of liability.
On the other hand Sri S. Niranjan Reddy, learned counsel
for the petitioner, would submit that, in view of Section 128 of the
Indian Contract Act, a liability of a surety is co-extensive with that
of the borrower; it is not necessary for the lender to first proceed
against the borrower, before proceeding against the surety; the
moment there is a default on the part of the borrower, a right
accrues in favour of the lender to recover the outstanding dues
either from the borrower or from the surety or from both; on the
borrower defaulting in repayment of the amounts due, a debt is
owed to the lender both by the borrower and the surety; the
amount due from the surety to the lender is a debt under Section
433 and 434 of the Companies Act; it is open to the lender,
therefore, to proceed against the guarantor instead of the borrower;
in the present case, the respondent-company had also specifically
stated in the agreement that they were co-obligants to the loan
facility; they had also admitted their liability, and had sought time
to repay the amount due to the petitioner; and it is, therefore, not
open to them to now contend that they cannot be held liable for
repayment of the amount borrowed from the petitioner by HHL,
their wholly owned subsidiary. Learned counsel would rely on
Ram Bahadur Thakur & Co., v. Sabu Jain Ltd. ; Bank of Bihar
Ltd. v. Dr. Damodar Prasad ; Coventry Spring & Engineering
Co. Ltd. v. I.C.I.C.I. Bank Ltd. ; Tata Capital Financial Services
Ltd. v. Sea Rock Investments Ltd. ; Videocon Industries Ltd. v.
Intesa Saupaolo S.P.A. ; Walnut Packing Pvt. Ltd. v. Sirpur
Paper Mills Ltd. ; and Krishna Kilaru v. Maytas Properties
Ltd. .
In support of his submission, he has placed
reliance on the judgment passed by the High Court Kerala in the case of
Walnut Packaging Private Limited vs. The Sirpur Paper Mills Limited
decided on 18.03.2008. He referred para-33 of the said judgment wherein it
Signature Not VerifiedSigned by: SOUMYARANJAN DALAISigning time: 11/25/20246:08:40 PM
NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2024:MPHC-IND:33214
5 WA-590-2023
has been held that the holding and subsidiary company are separate and
distinct and, therefore, they cannot be treated to be the same. Therefore, the
learned Single Judge has erred in dismissing the writ petition on the ground
that the petition involves disputed question of facts and the sale certificate
confirmed by the authority in favour of the auction purchaser cannot be
quashed in writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.