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 March31, 2020 for the purpose of judicial work," said a notice issued by NCLT Registrar on March 22.

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 ActingPresident sitting singly at Chennai will examine and pass necessary orders on Wednesday and Friday.

It also said that parties and counsels willnot be provided makingoral submissions asNCLT discouragespersons arriving to NCLTChennai.

According to the notice, counsels for urgent matters, should mailed tothe RegistrarNCLTChennai through email.

Moreover, extension of time or approval of the insolvency matters under the IBC, which are a time bound process willnotbeconstruedasurgentmatters", it added.

Thesematterswill betakenupassoonas regular benches start functioning, until such time such application not to befiled, 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.