RODEO POWER PTE LTD & 3 Ors v TONG SEAK KAN & Anor

[2023] SGHC(A) 1 High Court (Appellate Division) 5 January 2023 AD/CA 43/2022

1 cases cited Cited by 1 case

Key facts

Court	High Court (Appellate Division)
Decided	5 January 2023
Judges	Debbie Ong Siew Ling, Woo Bih Li
Charges / claim	Civil Procedure
Counsel	Joseph Tan Jude Benny LLP, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, Benjamin Yim, Harish Kumar s/o Champaklal, Josephine Chee Fei, Low Weng Hong, Mary-Anne Shu-Hui Chua, Tio Siaw Min

Source: [2023] SGHC(A) 1, High Court (Appellate Division), decided 5 January 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Civil Procedure — Interpleader — Appeal

Practice Areas

Civil Procedure

Judges (2)

Debbie Ong Siew Ling Coram Woo Bih Li Delivered

Counsel (8)

Joseph Tan Jude Benny LLP Firm Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP Firm

Benjamin Yim Counsel for the third party

Harish Kumar s/o Champaklal Counsel for the respondent

Josephine Chee Fei Counsel for the respondent

Low Weng Hong Counsel for the respondent

Mary-Anne Shu-Hui Chua Counsel for the appellant

Tio Siaw Min Counsel for the appellant

Parties (6)

JS Energy Holdings Limited Appellant

Kensington Park Holdings Limited Respondent

Rodeo Power Pte Ltd Appellant

Straits Grid Pte Ltd Appellant

Gorpal Singh Darshan Singh Appellant

Tong Seak Kan Respondent

Case Significance

Rodeo Power Pte Ltd and others v Tong Seak Kan and another [2023] SGHC(A) 1 was an appeal (Civil Appeal No 43 of 2022) heard in the Appellate Division of the High Court by Woo Bih Li JAD and Debbie Ong Siew Ling JAD, with grounds of decision delivered on 5 January 2023 following a hearing on 24 November 2022. The appeal challenged a General Division judge's oral judgment of 4 February 2022 on four interpleader summonses concerning competing claims to shares in various companies. The respondents, Tong Seak Kan and Kensington Park Holdings Limited, were judgment creditors of Jaya Sudhir a/l Jayaram ("Sudhir Senior") under a judgment in Suit No 724 of 2014 dated 30 January 2019, and had procured the Sheriff of Singapore to seize shares registered in various names on the basis that Sudhir Senior was the beneficial owner, including 57,700,002 shares in Rodeo Power Pte Ltd and 1,000,000 shares in Straits Grid Pte Ltd.

Summary

This was an appeal to the Appellate Division of the High Court by Rodeo Power Pte Ltd and three others arising from four interpleader summonses over competing claims to shares in various companies, brought after judgment creditors procured the seizure of shares said to be beneficially owned by the judgment debtor. The court found aspects of the proceedings unsatisfactory and, noting one appellant had withdrawn his appeal, ordered the parties to bear their own costs of the leave application, the appeal, and the interpleader proceedings below.

What was the appeal in Rodeo Power Pte Ltd v Tong Seak Kan [2023] SGHC(A) 1 about?

The appeal concerned four interpleader summonses over competing claims to shares in various companies. Respondents Tong Seak Kan and Kensington Park Holdings Limited, judgment creditors of Jaya Sudhir a/l Jayaram, had the Sheriff seize shares said to be beneficially owned by him, including 57,700,002 Rodeo Power shares.

Which judges heard [2023] SGHC(A) 1 and in which court?

Woo Bih Li JAD and Debbie Ong Siew Ling JAD heard Civil Appeal No 43 of 2022 in the Appellate Division of the High Court. Grounds of decision were delivered on 5 January 2023, following the hearing on 24 November 2022, on an appeal from a 4 February 2022 oral judgment.