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

Order Date: August 05, 2026

Case Overview

The appellant, Jatin, filed an RTI application dated June 28, 2026 (received via RTI MIS portal) seeking detailed information regarding PACL Registration No. U052141xxx in the name of Mrs. Veena Rani. The application specifically requested 12 items of information including copies of allotment letters, plot details (number, area, date, location with village/tehsil/district/state, Khasra Number, Survey Number), site plans, possession records, investor acknowledgments, all records basis which the case was treated as "Land Allotted," current land availability status, details of any disposal if not available, authority maintaining original records, and details of communications sent to the investor.

The basis for the request was SEBI's earlier communication in CPGRAMS Complaint No. PMOPG/E/2026/0108164, which stated the investor claim was kept on hold because land had been allotted as per PACL Ltd records, despite the investor denying receipt of any allotment letter, plot details, possession letter, sale deed, or communication.

The CPIO, SEBI, Mumbai responded on July 08, 2026, stating that the requested information was not available with SEBI. The respondent advised the appellant that all communication regarding refund status is handled by the Justice (Retd.) R.M Lodha Committee and provided links to PACL-related public notices, press releases, status reports, and FAQs available on SEBI's website.

The appellant filed an appeal on July 09, 2026 (Reg. No. SEBIH/A/E/26/00251) on the grounds of receiving incomplete, misleading, or false information.

The Appellate Authority examined the matter and concurred with the CPIO's response, noting that if information is not in SEBI's possession, the CPIO cannot invent it. The authority referenced the Hon'ble Central Information Commission's decision in Sh. Pattipati Rama Murthy vs. CPIO, SEBI (dated July 8, 2013) to support this position.

The authority further noted that the responsibility for disposal of properties and repayment to investors lies with the Justice (Retd.) R. M. Lodha Committee, constituted pursuant to the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India's order dated February 2, 2016.

Final Outcome

The appeal was dismissed. The Appellate Authority found no deficiency in the CPIO's response and upheld the decision that the information is not available with SEBI. The appellant was advised to approach the Justice (Retd.) R.M. Lodha Committee for their queries and to refer to the publicly available PACL information on SEBI's website.

Topics: RTI Appeal, PACL Refund Process, Investor Claims