Description

SEBI Appellate Authority dismisses RTI appeal filed by Captain Sunder Lal seeking email ID and phone number of SEBI grievance officer handling his SCORES complaint regarding Gujarat Tool Room dividend misinformation.

Summary

The SEBI Appellate Authority under the RTI Act dismissed Appeal No. 6825 of 2026 filed by Captain Sunder Lal against the CPIO, SEBI, Mumbai. The appellant sought the email ID and phone number of the SEBI officer who handled his grievance complaint (SEBIE/DH25/SOUT/047359/1) on SCORES, which related to alleged wrong information published by financial media regarding a dividend decision by Gujarat Tool Room. The Appellate Authority found that the requested information is publicly accessible via the SCORES website and the SEBI Directory, and dismissed the appeal.

Key Points

  • Appellant filed RTI application on February 26, 2026 seeking contact details of the SEBI grievance officer handling his SCORES complaint
  • The complaint on SCORES concerned allegedly incorrect information published by Money Control, Zee Biz, CNBC Awaaz Hindi, and other media regarding Gujarat Tool Room’s dividend decision
  • CPIO responded on March 12, 2026, providing the Action Taken Report (ATR) and directing the appellant to SCORES website
  • Appellant filed appeal on April 7, 2026 (Reg. No. SEBIH/A/E/26/00126), dissatisfied with the response
  • Appellate Authority noted that the handling officer’s name is visible in the ATR on SCORES, and official contact details of all SEBI employees are available under “SEBI Directory” on the SEBI website
  • Appeal dismissed on April 30, 2026 with no further intervention warranted

Regulatory Changes

No regulatory changes. This is a routine RTI appellate order with no amendments to rules, regulations, or circulars.

Compliance Requirements

No new compliance requirements for market participants. The order reaffirms that SEBI officer contact information is publicly accessible through the SEBI Directory and that complaint status and ATRs are available on the SCORES portal.

Important Dates

  • February 26, 2026: Original RTI application filed by appellant
  • March 12, 2026: CPIO response provided
  • April 7, 2026: First appeal filed (Reg. No. SEBIH/A/E/26/00126)
  • April 30, 2026: Appeal dismissed by Appellate Authority (Ruchi Chojer)

Impact Assessment

This order has no market or operational impact. It is an individual RTI grievance matter resolved by directing the appellant to publicly available SEBI resources. The underlying complaint regarding media misinformation about Gujarat Tool Room dividends remains a separate matter handled through SCORES and does not constitute a regulatory action against any entity.

Impact Justification

Routine RTI appeal dismissal with no regulatory changes or market-wide compliance requirements; limited to individual grievance regarding access to officer contact details already publicly available on SEBI website.