Appeal No. 6777 of 2026 filed by Tetari Devi - RTI Appeal on PACL Investment

Description

RTI appeal by Tetari Devi (PACL investor) against CPIO, SEBI regarding inability to rectify application deficiency on the Justice Lodha Committee portal. Appeal dismissed as SEBI does not hold the requested information.

Summary

This order disposes of Appeal No. 6777 of 2026 filed by Tetari Devi, a PACL investor, against the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), SEBI, Mumbai. The appellant sought information about why an edit/re-upload option was not available on the Justice (Retd.) R.M. Lodha Committee portal to rectify a deficiency (Incorrect/Illegible Certificate) in her PACL claim application. The Appellate Authority dismissed the appeal, finding no deficiency in SEBI’s response, as the requested information is not held by SEBI.

Key Points

• Appellant Tetari Devi (PACL Registration No. U30626xxx) filed an RTI application dated February 22, 2026 seeking technical/administrative details about the Lodha Committee portal’s edit functionality.
• SEBI’s CPIO responded on February 25, 2026, stating the requested information is not available with SEBI.
• The appellant filed this appeal (Reg. No. SEBIH/A/E/26/00088) on February 26, 2026, on grounds of refusal of information.
• The Appellate Authority upheld the CPIO’s response, citing the CIC precedent (Sh. Pattipati Rama Murthy vs. CPIO, SEBI, July 8, 2013) that SEBI cannot provide information it does not possess.
• The appellant was directed to refer to Status Reports, FAQs, Press Releases, and Public Notices on SEBI’s website regarding PACL matters.

Regulatory Changes

No regulatory changes. This is a disposal order for an individual RTI appeal.

Compliance Requirements

No new compliance requirements. The order reaffirms that SEBI is not responsible for portal operations of the Justice (Retd.) R.M. Lodha Committee, which manages PACL property disposal and investor repayment pursuant to the Supreme Court order dated February 2, 2016.

Important Dates

• February 22, 2026: Appellant’s RTI application filed via SEBI RTI MIS portal.
• February 25, 2026: CPIO’s response to the RTI application.
• February 26, 2026: Appeal filed by Tetari Devi (Reg. No. SEBIH/A/E/26/00088).

Impact Assessment

No market or broad regulatory impact. This is an individual investor matter relating to the PACL refund process administered by the Justice Lodha Committee. PACL investors with similar portal issues should refer to SEBI’s website for FAQs and public notices, or contact the Lodha Committee directly, as SEBI does not hold operational information about the committee’s portal.

Impact Justification

Routine RTI appeal by an individual PACL investor; no regulatory changes or market-wide implications. Appeal dismissed as information not available with SEBI.