Veetee Fine Foods Limited v. Union of India & Ors.

1. The grievance of the Petitioner, as articulated in the present Petition, is that despite taking all requisite steps in terms of the Companies Act, 2013 and allied Rules, the Application for permitting the Petitioner to be converted from a public listed company to a private limited company dated 08.12.2022 has not been allowed by Respondent No. 2.

2. Learned Counsel for the Petitioner submits that the Petitioner, after filing of the Application, received communications from Respondent No.2 and had timely responded to the said communications, supplying whatever necessary information and documents that were required. It is submitted that even the request for providing of balance sheets of the Petitioner for the last three years was fulfilled by the Petitioner on 06.10.2023.

3. Learned Counsel for the Petitioner further submits that he has also given a Representation on 03.02.2025 which has also not yet been decided.

4. After some arguments, learned Counsel for the Petitioner submits that he would restrict his challenge in the present Petition to a time-bound decision of his Representation and the Application filed for conversion.

5. Issue Notice. 5.[1] Learned Counsel for Respondents accepts Notice.

6. Given the order that the Court proposes to pass today, learned Counsel for the Respondents submits that they do not wish to file a Counter Affidavit.

7. Accordingly, the following directions are passed: 7.[1] The Petitioner and/or his authorized representative shall appear for a hearing at the office of Regional Director, B-2 Wing, Second Floor, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Bhawan, CGO Complex, New Delhi on 03.06.2025 at 11:00 AM. 7.[2] The Petitioner is permitted to produce any additional facts or documents in support of his contentions, at the time of the hearing before the concerned Authority. 7.[3] In the event, if it is deemed necessary, that there is a need for more than one hearing, the Petitioner and the Respondents may mutually schedule such additional hearings amongst themselves as well. 7.[4] The Respondent No.2/Authority shall examine the documents and pass a Speaking Order within four weeks of conclusion of the hearing(s). 7.[5] The speaking order shall be communicated within a week to the Petitioner under acknowledged postal service and e-mail.

8. The Petition is disposed of with the aforesaid directions. The pending Application also stands closed.

9. Needless to add, that in the event the Petitioner is aggrieved with the order passed by the Respondent/Authority, he may take appropriate steps in accordance with the law. All rights and contentions of the parties are left open in this regard.