COVID-19: NCLT shuts down all benches across India till March 31

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has closed all the benches across India till March 31, following the COVID-19 outbreak.

However, urgent matters would be heard by a single-member bench of NCLT Chennai, which would be presided by its Acting President on Wednesday and Friday only.

“All NCLT benches shall remain closed from March 23, 2020 to March 31, 2020 for the purpose of judicial work," said a notice issued by NCLT Registrar on March 22.

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For all “unavoidable urgent matters, on application by the aggrieved, through email to the registry NCLT Chennai after service of notice to the other side, the Acting President sitting singly at Chennai will examine and pass necessary orders on Wednesday and Friday”.

It also said that parties and counsels “will not be provided making oral submissions” as NCLT “discourages persons arriving to NCLT Chennai”.

According to the notice, counsels for urgent matters, should mailed to the Registrar NCLT Chennai through email.

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Moreover, extension of time or approval of the insolvency matters under the IBC, which are a time bound process “will not be construed as urgent matters", it added.

“These matters will be taken up as soon as regular benches start functioning, until such time such application not to be filed,” it said.

NCLT was set up under section 408 of the Companies Act, 2013 on June 1, 2016.

Besides a Principal Bench at New Delhi, it has 14 other benches across India in Ahmadabad, Allahabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Cuttack, Jaipur, Kochi, Amravati, and Indore.