View document text
POST BOX NO. 10077 THE BOMBAY BURMAH TRADING CORPORATION LIMITED
TEL. NOS.: +91 22 22197101
Email: writetous@bbtcl.com
REGD. OFFICE : 9, WALLACE STREET,FORT,
Website: www.bbtcl.com
MUMBAI 400 001, INDIA.
CIN: L99999MH1863PLC000002
21st July, 2026
The Secretary The Manager – Listing Department,
BSE Ltd., National Stock Exchange of India Ltd.,
Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers, Exchange Plaza, 5th Floor,
Dalal Street, Plot No.C/1, ‘G’ Block,
MUMBAI 400 001. Bandra-Kurla Complex,
Scrip Code: 501425 Bandra (E),
MUMBAI 400 051.
Scrip Code: BBTC
Dear Sir(s)/Madam(s),
Sub: Disclosure under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure
Requirements) Regulations, 2015
Pursuant to Regulation 30 read with Part A of Schedule III of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and
Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 ("SEBI Listing Regulations"), we wish to inform
you about the judicial proceedings concerning the Corporation's tea estate in Singampatti,
Tamil Nadu, that was held under a 99 years lease dated February 12, 1929 executed in its
favour by the then Zamindar of Singampatti.
In December 2023, the Corporation decided that further continuance of its leasehold rights
was unviable and accordingly ceased all plantation and factory operations with effect from
June 16, 2024. Consequently, it introduced a Voluntary Retirement Scheme for 534 workers.
The dues payable under the VRS have been paid to the workers / deposited with the Assistant
Commissioner of Labour (Plantation) for disbursement.
The cessation of operations by the Corporation was challenged by workmen in various Writ
Petitions before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking rehabilitation. These
Writ Petitions were disposed off by the Madras High Court’s judgment dated December 3,
2024, declining reliefs to the workmen. One of the workmen viz. A John Kennedy filed a Civil
Appeal (viz. Civil Appeal No. 6395-6397 of 2025) challenging the Madras High Court’s
judgment dated December 3, 2024.
During the pendency of the Civil Appeals, on May 8, 2025, the Corporation has duly handed
over 8,152.13 acres of land out of the total 8,373.57 acres temporarily retaining, at that time,
the balance 221.44 acres, which comprised bungalows and factory buildings, as the
Corporation required some additional time to enter upon the property and remove movables
therein.
The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, vide its order dated May 29, 2026, passed in Civil Appeal
Nos. 6395–6397 of 2025 (A. John Kennedy and Others vs. State of Tamil Nadu and Others),
has reviewed the status of the matter relating to restoration of forest land, handover of the
leased plantation area, and other connected issues.
POST BOX NO. 10077 THE BOMBAY BURMAH TRADING CORPORATION LIMITED
TEL. NOS.: +91 22 22197101
Email: writetous@bbtcl.com
REGD. OFFICE : 9, WALLACE STREET,FORT,
Website: www.bbtcl.com
MUMBAI 400 001, INDIA.
CIN: L99999MH1863PLC000002
The Hon'ble Court has taken note of the substantial progress made by the Corporation in
handing over possession of the leased plantation land to the State Forest Department. The
Court has also recorded the steps undertaken by the Corporation towards dismantling the
factory structures.
Further, the Hon'ble Court has noted the completion of settlement of the amounts payable
under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme ("VRS") to the plantation workers, with the
disbursements having been made through the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner,
Nagercoil.
The Corporation has duly demobilised all movables, dismantled machineries and demolished
the factory buildings standing on the temporarily retained 221.44 acres and handed over
possession of this area to the Forest Department on an “as is where is basis” on July 11, 2026.
Though the proceedings before the Supreme Court do not in any manner pertain to the issue
of lease rent payable by the Corporation qua the leased land, based on a report prepared by
the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by Supreme Court in the Civil Appeals,
the order dated May 29, 2026 records that certain lease rentals “remain to be recovered” by
the State Government from the Corporation.
The Supreme Court has proceeded on the basis of the report of the CEC. The CEC report
itself appears to be founded on internal inter-governmental correspondence of an
unapproved/unauthorised, derived internal calculation of lease rent of Rs. 4,655 crs by a
department which the Corporation believes has no jurisdiction. The Corporation has neither
received any communication nor any demand from the Government based on such
calculation. The issue relating to lease rent continues to be governed by the order of the
Madras High Court, to which the Supreme Court has also referred. In respect of the lease
rentals, the Supreme Court Order directs the State to follow orders of the Madras High Court
which had earlier quashed the demands made by the State Government of Rs. 231.9 crs and
states as follows:
“2. ……. the demands of lease rent impugned in the two writ petitions viz., W.P.(MD) Nos. 8259
of 2018 and 1311 of 2019 are set aside and the matters stand remanded to the file of the Deputy
Director, Project Tiger, Ambasamudaram … for re-quantification. Needless to say, the parties
shall be heard in full, by issuance of notice, prior to any orders being passed.
“6. … the writ petitioner / appellant is at liberty to contest the same both on merits as well as on
assumption of jurisdiction, as well as on any other ground available in law. Hence on this aspect
of assumption of jurisdiction to revise the rent, it is left open for decision by the authorities.
“7. Notice be issued within a period of three weeks from today i.e., on or before 08.09.2025, and
proceedings be concluded by the authority after hearing the Appellant / writ petitioner, prior
to 15.10.2025.”
Since the Civil Appeals do not pertain to the issue of lease rent and further since no notice or,
demand or computation of lease rent recorded has been issued to or served on the
Corporation, much less any hearing or opportunity to object to any such sum of alleged lease
rent has been provided to the Corporation, on 21st July 2026, the Corporation has filed a
POST BOX NO. 10077 THE BOMBAY BURMAH TRADING CORPORATION LIMITED
TEL. NOS.: +91 22 22197101
Email: writetous@bbtcl.com
REGD. OFFICE : 9, WALLACE STREET,FORT,
Website: www.bbtcl.com
MUMBAI 400 001, INDIA.
CIN: L99999MH1863PLC000002
detailed Interlocutory Application before the Hon'ble Supreme Court seeking an order recalling
and expunging the observations pertaining to lease rent contained in the Supreme Court’s
order.
The Corporation will continue to keep the Stock Exchanges informed of any material
developments in the matter, in compliance with the applicable provisions of the SEBI Listing
Regulations.
Kindly take the same on record.
Thanking You,
Yours faithfully,
For The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited
Lalita Rajesh
Chief Financial Officer
Encl.: As above