Whalesbook
Ab NCLT ne faisla suna diya hai ki IL&FS ke iss bade fraud case mein EY India aur Deloitte jaise auditors ko koi blanket immunity nahi milegi. Unki sari petitions ko reject kar diya gaya hai aur ab Companies Act, 2013 ke Section 339 ke tehat har kisi ke conduct ki alag se jaanch hogi. Pehle toh firms chahti thi ki unhe proceedings se hi bahar kar diya jaye, par ab unhe khud hi apna role defend karna padega. Iss decision se unka immediate legal exposure kaafi badh gaya hai.
Audit firms ko aksar watchdog samjha jata hai, par ab NCLT ne saaf kar diya hai ki agar koi evidence dikhata hai ki unhone jaante bojhte fraud mein help ki hai, toh woh safe nahi hain. Government aur SFIO ka kehna hai ki Section 339 aise outsiders par lagta hai jo galat kaam mein involve the. Issliye, har case ko carefully examine kiya jayega, sirf negligence se kaam nahi chalega. SFIO toh pehle hi Deloitte aur BSR (jo ab EY ka hissa hai) par information chhupane aur accounts mein gadbad karne ka aarop laga chuki hai.
Yeh NCLT ka verdict India ke corporate sector mein auditor accountability ke liye ek naya precedent set karta hai. EY India, jisme BSR & Associates aur SRBC & Co. LLP bhi shaamil hain, unke liye yeh decision IL&FS Financial Services (IFIN) ke purane audits par seedha asar dalega. Deloitte India, jisne 2018 tak dus saal tak IFIN ko audit kiya tha, woh bhi same scrutiny ke under aayegi. Bhala ho EY India ka, jinki FY24 mein revenue ₹13,400 Crore se zyada thi, aur Deloitte India ki bhi lagbhag ₹10,000 Crore thi. Yeh sab ho raha hai jab NFRA aur ICAI jaise bodies corporate governance aur audit quality ko behtar banane ke liye pressure bana rahi hain. Delhi High Court ne bhi pehle hi yeh confirm kiya hai ki LLPs apne partners ke actions ke liye liable hongi. Is sab se audit firms ke liye professional indemnity insurance ka kharcha badh sakta hai.
NCLT ke iss verdict se audit firms ka litigation risk aur bhi badh gaya hai. IL&FS ka yeh case hi lambi legal ladaiyon mein badal sakta hai, aur iss precedent se companies kaafi financial aur human resources defence mein lagane padenge. Yeh unke core audit work se dhyan hata sakta hai. Aur agar guilty verdict na bhi aaye, toh reputational damage toh hai hi. ₹91,000 Crore se zyada ke defaults wale IL&FS jaise scandal mein involve hona public trust ko tod sakta hai. Regulatory environment bhi kaafi strict ho gaya hai, jahan NFRA audit quality par nazar rakhe hue hai. Ab auditors par sirf records review karne se zyada, financial mismanagement ko active roop se uncover karne ka pressure hoga. Government ka stance bilkul clear hai, Supreme Court ne bhi pehle kaha tha ki auditors resignation ke baad bhi proceedings face kar sakte hain.
Yeh badhta hua regulatory aur legal pressure India mein audit profession ko naye tarike se shape karega. Ho sakta hai ki badhti hui risk ko reflect karne ke liye audit fees bhi badh jayein. Auditors aur bhi zyada cautious ho jayenge, jisse unke opinions zyada conservative honge aur sabhi engagements mein deeper scrutiny hogi. Government chahti hai ki corporate governance mazboot ho aur accountability sirf company management tak nahi, balki sab gatekeepers tak pahunche. NFRA aur ICAI ke beech chal raha collaboration ek unified aur shayad zyada strict regulatory system ki taraf ishara karta hai, jo audit firms ke kaam karne ke tarike aur liabilities ko handle karne ke dhang ko badlega.