Sebi Cracks Down On Reliance Big Ent

In last August, Sebi had barred industrialist Anil Ambani, 24 other entities, including former key officials of Reliance Home Finance, from the securities market for 5 years for diversion of funds from the company

New Delhi: Capital markets regulator Sebi on Monday ordered the attachment of bank accounts as well as shares and mutual fund holdings of Reliance Big Entertainment to recover dues of Rs26 crore.

Before this, the markets watchdog on November 14 sent a notice to Reliance Big Entertainment Pvt Ltd (now known as Rbep Entertainment Pvt Ltd) and asked the entity to pay dues within 15 days in a case pertaining to illegal diversion of funds in the matter of Reliance Home Finance Ltd (RHFL). The attachment notice came after Reliance Big Entertainment failed to pay the fine imposed on it by the markets watchdog. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has ordered the attachment of bank, demat accounts and mutual fund folios of the entity to recover the pending dues. Going by the notice, dues of Rs26 crore were pending with Reliance Big Entertainment, which included interest and recovery costs.

As per the notice, Sebi said there is sufficient reason to believe that the defaulter may dispose of the bank accounts and securities in the demat accounts or mutual fund folios and ‘realisation of the amount due under the certificate would, in consequence, be delayed or obstructed’. Accordingly, Sebi asked all banks, depositories, and mutual funds not to allow any debit from the accounts. Last week, the regulator sent attachment notices to three entities to recover dues totalling Rs78 crore for the illegal diversion of funds from the firm. The entities are, Adhar Project Management and Consultancy Pvt Ltd, Indian Agri Service Pvt Ltd and Mohanbir Hi-Tech Build Pvt Ltd.

In August this year, Sebi had barred industrialist Anil Ambani, 24 other entities, including former key officials of Reliance Home Finance, from the securities market for five years for diversion of funds from the company. Sebi has imposed a penalty of Rs 25 crore on Ambani and restrained him from being associated with the securities market including as a director or Key Managerial Personnel (KMP) in any listed company, or any intermediary registered with the market regulator, for five years. Also, the regulator barred Reliance Home Finance Ltd (RHFL) from the securities market for six months and slapped a fine of Rs6 lakh on it.