In an order issued yesterday involving Birla Pacific Medspa Limited (“BPML”), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”) was faced with an alleged misapplication of IPO funds by the company way back in 2011. Through a prospectus issued on June 29, 2011, the company raised Rs. 65.17 crores to establish “Evolve” Medspa centres across India, which constituted the primary purpose of the...
Regulating Listed PSUs for Disclosures and Transparency
[Gaurav Pingle is a practising company secretary] True, fair, adequate and timely disclosures form one of the basic tenets of governance in listed companies and are essential for maintaining the integrity of the securities market. Timely disclosures of material events are of significant importance. They also bring about transparency and enable the investors to take an informed investment or...
The Use of Circumstantial Evidence in Securities Law Enforcement
[Shruti Rajan is a partner in the Financial Regulatory Practice at Trilegal. Vidhi Shah is an associate with the Financial Regulatory Practice at Trilegal.] Quasi-judicial authorities are not bound by strict rules of evidence. It is settled law that they are “entitled to act on material that may not be accepted as evidence in a court of law,” and examine all relevant information and data in...
SEBI’s New Pledge/Re-Pledge System Overhaul: An Appraisal
[Gayatri Puthran is a 3rd Year B.B.A., LL.B. student at the Jindal Global Law School] In a bid to promote ease of doing business, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (‘SEBI’) on 2 September 2020 by way of its circular titled ‘Disclosures on Margin obligations given by way of Pledge/ Re-Pledge in the Depository System’ (‘Disclosure Circular’) dispensed with certain disclosure...
Litigation against Credit Rating Agencies: Delhi High Court Delineates the Scope
[Kajal Singh and Nikunj Maheshwari are 4th year law students at the Institute of Law, Nirma University, Ahmedabad.] Credit rating is a mechanism to address the asymmetry of information in the debt investment market, where the independent credit rating agencies (‘CRA’) rate the debt instruments issued by the borrower company (‘client’). Clients, to get their instruments rated, enter into an...
Banning Short-Selling During Financial Crises – An Optimal Approach?
[Talin Bhardwaj is a third-year student of B.A. LL.B (Hons.) at the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala] The unprecedented circumstances emanating from the Covid-19 pandemic have created major instability in the financial markets of various countries that has been detrimental to the confidence of investors. This economic crisis has forced financial regulators around the world to take...
Disgorgement in India: Takeaways from a Recent US Supreme Court Ruling
[Shaivi Shah is a 3rd year student and Palash Moolchandani a 4th year student, both at National Law University, Odisha] The Black’s Law Dictionary defines disgorgement as “the act of giving up something (such as profits illegally obtained) on demand or by legal compulsion”. In India, since the enactment of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, the tool of disgorgement has been...
Dave Committee on Strengthening SEBI’s Recovery Mechanism: Missed Opportunities
[Rohan Deshpande practices as a Counsel at the Bombay High Court] On December 14, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) formed a High Level Committee chaired by Justice Anil R. Dave, a former judge of the Supreme Court. One of the terms of reference of the Committee was to review the enforcement mechanism of SEBI, particularly the recovery mechanism under securities laws. The...
Foray into Global Capital Markets: Is India Inc. Ready for It?
[Eshvar Girish is a 5th year BBA LLB student at Christ University] Recently, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to allow the listing of Indian companies overseas directly, without being listed on the domestic stock exchanges. India Inc. has perceived this approval as a much-needed move. Keeping this in mind, this post aims to analyze the implications of direct listing of Indian companies...
Relief Defendants in Recovery Proceedings: Implications of the Dave Committee’s Suggestion
[Pranav Mihir Kandada and Anuraag Bukkapatnam are 3rd year law students at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad] On June 16, 2020, SEBI notified the report of the High Level Committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Anil R. Dave on the “Measures for Strengthening the Enforcement Mechanism of the Board and Incidental Issues”. The Committee examined the present securities laws and noted...
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