Authority: Appellate Authority under the Right to Information Act, 2005, Securities and Exchange Board of India
Order Date: June 18, 2026
Case Overview
The appellant, Sumit Saurabh, filed an RTI application dated April 02, 2026 seeking information regarding multiple allegations concerning Omkara Assets Reconstruction Company (ARC) and a listed company (likely a sugar mill based on context). The application contained 14 specific queries alleging various irregularities including an inflated claim of ₹3,198 crore by Omkara ARC compared to an original loan amount of ₹21.25 crore, discriminatory treatment in accepting claims, fraudulent listing of a non-operational mill, and potential insider trading. The CPIO, SEBI, Mumbai responded on April 30, 2026, stating that the information sought was vague and not specific, and therefore could not be construed as "information" as defined under section 2(f) of the RTI Act. The appellant filed an appeal dated May 21, 2026 (Reg. No. SEBIH/A/E/26/00190) on the ground that he was refused access to the requested information.
Final Outcome
The Appellate Authority, Ruchi Chojer, dismissed the appeal and upheld the CPIO's response. The authority concurred that the queries were vague and not specific, noting that information sought under the RTI Act must be clear, specific, and available in the records of the public authority. The order cited the precedent of Mr. T. V. Sundaresan vs. CPIO, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Decision dated November 24, 2021) where the Central Information Commission held that answering broad, multiple, and general queries about presumptive documents cannot be furnished under the RTI Act. The authority found no deficiency in the respondent's response and declined to interfere with the decision.
Topics: RTI Appeal, SEBI Investigation, Corporate Governance