1. Process for Removing a Director

A company is empowered to remove its directors before the expiry of their term, the powers of which is vested with the shareholders. Non-compliance with any of the stipulated processes can make the decision void, if appealed in a court.

2. Basic Pre-requisite

One of the common requisites in the various laws ordained involves providing the defendant or defaulter with an opportunity of being heard. It is no different with the removal of a director. The process of removal cannot not be initiated without providing this opportunity to the director who is to be removed.

3. Issue of Notice

The process of removal must be initiated by way of a notice. This notice must be processed by shareholders holding a minimum voting power of 1%; or who holds shares on which an aggregate sum of not more than Rs 5,00,000 has been paid up on the date of notice. Such a notice, known as special notice must be signed by all the members. The special notice must be delivered to the company at-least 14 days prior to the date of meeting, at which the resolution will be passed. It may be delivered earlier but wouldn’t be valid if issued before 3 months of the date of meeting.

A copy of the notice must be sent to the director concerned, who in-turn is entitled to be heard on the resolution at the meeting, whether or not the director is a member of a company. The notice must be served at-least 7 days, which is a week prior to the date of meeting. Alternatively, if the shareholders are unable to deliver the notice due to any reasonable circumstances, it can be published in 2 newspapers, one in English and the other in the regional language. In addition to this, the notice must mandatorily be posted on the company’s website, if it maintains any.

4. Representation in Writing

The concerned director can make a representation in writing to the company against the notice of removal. He/she is also entitled to make a plea to the company that the representation must be sent to all the members. Also, the members must be notified of the representation through a notice. If the company is unable to send the copies to all the members, the director may request for the representation to be read out at the meeting. The director is entitled to this right in addition to and without prejudice to his right to be heard orally.

5. Appeal to the Tribunal

If the organization or any aggrieved person decides against sending out the representation to the members or reading it out in a meeting, they can make an application to the Tribunal, requesting a nullification of the process.

The Tribunal is entitled to annul the process, if it finds that the director uses this right to secure unnecessary publicity for defamatory matter. Further, the director is also bestowed with the right to issue an order demanding the director to cover the cost of application borne by the company.