Authority: Appellate Authority under the RTI Act, Securities and Exchange Board of India

Order Date: July 02, 2026

Case Overview

The appeal (No. 6921 of 2026) was filed by an appellant, Ayaz, against the CPIO, SEBI, Mumbai. The dispute arose from an RTI application dated June 01, 2026, filed by the appellant seeking detailed information regarding a specific PACL Certificate (No. U00717xxxxx) in the name of SMT TABSSUM PAN ARKPBxxxxxx. The appellant's queries focused on the status "Land has been allotted as per the data provided by PACL" shown on the PACL refund portal. He requested nine specific items of information, including a copy of the allotment letter, detailed land particulars (Plot Number, Khasra Number, Village, Tehsil, District, State), date of allotment, records of acceptance and possession, all underlying data from PACL Ltd. supporting the status, the investor's current refund eligibility status, existence of a review mechanism for disputed allotments, and the name and designation of the responsible authority.

The respondent (CPIO, SEBI) responded on June 08, 2026, stating that all communication regarding refund status is handled by the Justice (Retd.) R.M. Lodha Committee and advised the appellant to approach that committee. SEBI also noted that general details on PACL matters are available on its website. The appellant filed this appeal on June 09, 2026 (Reg. No. SEBIH/A/E/26/00213) on the ground that the information provided was incomplete, misleading, or false.

The Appellate Authority perused the application, the response, and the appeal. Its key observation was that the respondent's reply did not clarify whether the requested information was available with SEBI or not. Consequently, the Authority concluded that the queries had not been adequately addressed.

Final Outcome

The Appellate Authority disposed of the appeal by remitting the application back to the respondent (CPIO, SEBI) for de novo (fresh) consideration. SEBI was directed to send an appropriate response to the appellant in terms of the RTI Act within 15 working days from the date of receipt of this order.

Topics: RTI Appeal, PACL Refund, SEBI Compliance