Submission of report by Company Liquidator
Section 281 of the Companies Act, 2013 deals with submission of report by Company Liquidator. Where the Tribunal has made a winding up order or appointed a Company Liquidator, such liquidator shall, within sixty days from the order, submit to the Tribunal, a report containing the following particulars, namely:-- (a) the nature and details of the assets of the company including their location The Act came into force on 01 Apr 2014.
(1) Where the Tribunal has made a winding up order or appointed a Company Liquidator, such liquidator shall, within sixty days from the order, submit to the Tribunal, a report containing the following particulars, namely:--
(a) the nature and details of the assets of the company including their location and value, stating separately the cash balance in hand and in the bank, if any, and the negotiable securities, if any, held by the company:
Provided that the valuation of the assets shall be obtained from registered valuers for this purpose;
(b) amount of capital issued, subscribed and paid-up;
(c) the existing and contingent liabilities of the company including names, addresses and occupations of its creditors, stating separately the amount of secured and unsecured debts, and in the case of secured debts, particulars of the securities given, whether by the company or an officer thereof, their value and the dates on which they were given;
(d) the debts due to the company and the names, addresses and occupations of the persons from whom they are due and the amount likely to be realised on account thereof;
(e) guarantees, if any, extended by the company;
(f) list of contributories and dues, if any, payable by them and details of any unpaid call;
(g) details of trade marks and intellectual properties, if any, owned by the company;
(h) details of subsisting contracts, joint ventures and collaborations, if any;
(i) details of holding and subsidiary companies, if any;
(j) details of legal cases filed by or against the company; and
(k) any other information which the Tribunal may direct or the Company Liquidator may consider necessary to include.
(2) The Company Liquidator shall include in his report the manner in which the company was promoted or formed and whether in his opinion any fraud has been committed by any person in its promotion or formation or by any officer of the company in relation to the company since the formation thereof and any other matters which, in his opinion, it is desirable to bring to the notice of the Tribunal.
(3) The Company Liquidator shall also make a report on the viability of the business of the company or the steps which, in his opinion, are necessary for maximising the value of the assets of the company.
(4) The Company Liquidator may also, if he thinks fit, make any further report or reports.
(5) Any person describing himself in writing to be a creditor or a contributory of the company shall be entitled by himself or by his agent at all reasonable times to inspect the report submitted in accordance with this section and take copies thereof or extracts therefrom on payment of the prescribed fees.
Section 281, The Companies Act, 2013 (Act 18 of 2013).
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Action Ispat and Power Pvt. LTD vs Shyam Metalics and Energy Limited
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Even post-admission of a winding up petition and after appointment of a Company Liquidator to take over assets of a company sought to be wound up, discretion is vested in the Company Court to transfer such petition to the NCLT. Such discretion should be exercised based on whether irreversible steps have been taken in the winding up proceedings. If no actual sales of immovable or movable properties have taken place and the proceedings have not reached a stage making it impossible to set the clock back, the Company Court should transfer the proceedings to NCLT to be dealt with as an application for initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016, in accordance with the legislative intent to prioritize corporate revival over liquidation.
On this section: Company Liquidator must submit report within 60 days containing details of assets, liabilities, creditors, and viability of business
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Made under this section, and citing it
1 instrument names this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
Questions about Section 281
What have the courts held on Section 281 of the Companies Act?
Action Ispat and Power Pvt. LTD vs Shyam Metalics and Energy Limited (15 Dec 2020) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Company Liquidator must submit report within 60 days containing details of assets, liabilities, creditors, and viability of business.
How do I find court cases under Section 281 of the Companies Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Companies Act 281, section 281 Companies Act, section 281 of the Companies Act. People searching for it also type companies act 2006 section 281. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Action Ispat and Power Pvt. LTD vs Shyam Metalics and Energy Limited (15 Dec 2020).
What should I read with Section 281 of the Companies Act, and has it changed?
One instrument names it without being made under it, most recently Companies (winding up) Rules 2020 (2020).
When did Section 281 of the Companies Act come into force?
Section 281 of the Companies Act, cited as Companies Act 281, came into force on 01 Apr 2014, having been enacted on 29 Aug 2013. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 2. Definitions5089 words
- 143. Powers and duties of auditors and auditing standards1867 words
- 230. Power to compromise or make arrangements with creditors and members1432 words
- 232. Merger and amalgamation of companies1416 words
- 149. Company to have Board of Directors1403 words
- 217. Procedure, powers, etc., of inspectors1390 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 17 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.