Eligibility for appointment as liquidator

(1) An insolvency professional shall be eligible to be appointed as a liquidator if he, and every partner or director of the insolvency professional entity of which he is a partner or director, is independent of the corporate debtor. Explanation– A person shall be considered independent of the corporate debtor, if he- (a) is eligible to be appointed as an independent director on the board of the corporate debtor under section 149 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013), where the corporate debtor is a company; (b) is not a related party of the corporate debtor; or (c) has not been an employee or proprietor or a partner: (i) of a firm of auditors or 12[secretarial auditors] or cost auditors of the corporate debtor; or (ii) of a legal or a consulting firm, that has or had any transaction with the corporate debtor contributing ten per cent or more of the gross turnover of such firm, in the last three financial years. (2) A liquidator shall disclose the existence of any pecuniary or personal relationship with the concerned corporate debtor or any of its stakeholders as soon as he becomes aware of it, to the Board and the Adjudicating Authority. (3) An insolvency professional shall not continue as a liquidator if the insolvency professional entity of which he is a director or partner, or any other partner or director 12 Substituted by Notification No. IBBI/ 2017-18/GN/REG028, dated 27th March, 2018 (w.e.f. 01-04-2018). Clause 3 (1) (c) (i), prior to substitution it stood as under – “(i) of a firm of auditors or company secretaries or cost auditors of the corporate debtor; or”.

of such insolvency professional entity represents any other stakeholder in the same liquidation process.