S. Rajendran vs The Deputy Commissioner Of Income Tax ...

The Supreme Court examined whether the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has jurisdiction to entertain challenges against provisional attachment orders passed under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 (Benami Act). The NCLAT had upheld the NCLT's view that it lacked jurisdiction and that such disputes must be adjudicated exclusively by the forum constituted under the Benami Act. The Supreme Court affirmed this position, emphasizing the specialized jurisdictional scheme under the Benami Act and directing that challenges to attachment orders be pursued before the designated authority under the Act. Consequently, the appeals were dismissed, reinforcing the exclusivity of the Benami Act's adjudicatory mechanism.