Authority: Appellate Authority under the RTI Act, Securities and Exchange Board of India
Order Date: June 24, 2026
Case Overview
The appeal was filed by Nikhil Goyal against the response provided by the CPIO, SEBI, Mumbai to an RTI application dated May 23, 2026. The appellant's query specifically sought two pieces of information regarding the PACL refund process: 1) The data provided by PACL Ltd which claims land has been allotted to PACL Certificate No: U05119xxxxx, and 2) The details and documents of the land supposedly allotted to this certificate number. The respondent (CPIO, SEBI) had responded on June 01, 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 instead. The respondent also noted that general details about PACL matters are available on SEBI's website. The appellant filed the appeal on the ground that he was provided incomplete, misleading, or false information.
Final Outcome
The Appellate Authority, after perusing the application, response, and appeal, found that the respondent's reply did not make it clear whether the requested information was available with SEBI or not. The Authority determined that the queries had not been adequately addressed. The application was remitted to the respondent for de novo (fresh) consideration. The CPIO, 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. The appeal was disposed of accordingly.
Topics: RTI Appeal, PACL Refund, SEBI Compliance