Description
SEBI Appellate Authority dismisses RTI appeal by Ramswaroop Chourasia seeking details of mutual fund folio and demat accounts, upholding SEBI's response that the requested information is not available with SEBI.
Summary
The SEBI Appellate Authority under the Right to Information Act, 2005 disposed of Appeal No. 6742 of 2026 filed by Ramswaroop Chourasia. The appellant had sought details of mutual fund folios and demat accounts linked to the PAN and Aadhaar numbers of himself and his wife (Mrs. Pushpa Chourasia), along with guidance on redemption. SEBI’s CPIO responded that the information is not available with SEBI, and directed the appellant to the MITRA platform and respective AMCs. The Appellate Authority found no deficiency in SEBI’s response and dismissed the appeal.
Key Points
- RTI application was filed by Ramswaroop Chourasia (date: Nil; received by SEBI on December 26, 2025)
- Appellant sought details of mutual fund folios and demat accounts linked to his and his wife’s PAN and Aadhaar numbers, and guidance on redemption
- SEBI CPIO responded on January 20, 2026 stating the information is not available with SEBI
- CPIO directed appellant to the MITRA (Mutual Fund Investment Tracing and Retrieval Assistant) platform for tracing inactive/unclaimed mutual fund folios
- CPIO advised appellant to approach respective AMCs for redemption of mutual fund investments
- Appeal was filed on January 29, 2026 (received February 9, 2026)
- Appellate Authority upheld SEBI’s response citing Supreme Court ruling in CBSE vs. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011) and CIC ruling in Sh. Pattipati Rama Murthy vs. CPIO, SEBI (2013)
Regulatory Changes
No regulatory changes. This is an individual RTI appellate order with no changes to existing regulations or guidelines.
Compliance Requirements
No new compliance requirements for market participants. The order reaffirms the established principle that SEBI is only obligated to provide information that is available in its records and cannot be compelled to collect or collate information not maintained by it.
Important Dates
- RTI Application received by SEBI: December 26, 2025
- SEBI CPIO Response: January 20, 2026
- Appeal filed: January 29, 2026
- Appeal received by Appellate Authority: February 9, 2026
Impact Assessment
This order has no market or operational impact. It is a routine individual RTI appeal disposal. Investors seeking to trace inactive or unclaimed mutual fund folios are directed to use the MITRA platform and contact their respective AMCs directly for redemption assistance, as SEBI does not maintain individual folio-level data.
Impact Justification
Routine RTI appellate order with no market-wide regulatory changes; affects only the individual appellant and has no broader market or compliance implications.