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

Order Date: November 02, 2026

Case Overview

The appellant, Ramapati Kuar, filed an application under the Right to Information Act, 2005, on October 03, 2026. The application sought specific, detailed information concerning PACL Certificate No U23008xxx in her name. The PACL refund portal had indicated that the application could not be processed further because land had been allotted as per data provided by PACL Ltd. The appellant requested ten specific items of information, including complete details of the allotted land, its plot/khasra number, location (village, block, tehsil, district, state), area, the name of the PACL project, and certified copies of all related records, allotment letters, sale deeds, and registration documents. She also sought clarity on whether the record showed actual allotment, registration, and possession or merely an allotment entry in the data, and the present status of the certificate for refund purposes.

The respondent, the CPIO of SEBI, Mumbai, replied on October 06, 2026, stating that the information sought 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 access status reports, FAQs, press releases, and public notices related to PACL Ltd. available on the SEBI website.

The appellant, dissatisfied with this response, filed an appeal dated October 06, 2026 (Reg. No. SEBIH/A/E/26/00381). The Appellate Authority perused the application, the response, and the appeal. It concurred with the respondent's position, noting that if information is not in SEBI's possession, the CPIO cannot invent it. The authority referenced a decision by the Hon'ble Central Information Commission (CIC) in the matter of Sh. Pattipati Rama Murthy vs. CPIO, SEBI (dated July 8, 2013) to support this conclusion. The authority further noted that the responsibility for the disposal of PACL's properties and repayment to investors is entrusted to the Justice (Retd.) R.M. Lodha Committee, constituted pursuant to a February 2, 2016 order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India.

Final Outcome

The appeal was dismissed. The Appellate Authority found no deficiency in the respondent's response and no need to interfere with its decision. The appellant remains directed to approach the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee for the requested information concerning her PACL certificate and land allotment details.

Topics: RTI Appeal, PACL Refund