Primary sources · Order
Appeal No. 7062 of 2026 filed by Santosh
- SEBI adapter: text extracted by Firecrawl; the source PDF was not retrieved, so no original file is archived.
BEFORE THE APPELLATE AUTHORITY
(Under the Right to Information Act, 2005)
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA Appeal No. 7062 of 2026
Santosh
Appellant
Vs
CPIO, SEBI, Mumbai
Respondent
ORDER
The appellant had filed an application dated August 14, 2026 received by SEBI through RTI MIS portal)
under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (“RTI Act”). The respondent, by a letter dated August 24, 2026
responded to the application filed by the appellant. The appellant filed an appeal dated August 25, 2026 (Reg.
No. SEBIH/A/E/26/00327). I have perused the application, the response of the respondent and the appeal
and find that the matter can be decided based on the material available on record.
Queries in the application - The appellant, in her application dated July 15, 2026, sought the following
information:
“I am a war widow and the funds invested in PACL Ltd belong to my late husbands service benefits and hard earned family
savings. I possess the Provisional Allotment Letter and payment receipts issued by PACL Ltd. However as the Original
Certificate Bond is missing I do not have my PACL Registration Number U Number which is making it impossible for me to
register my claim on the SEBI PACL refund portal.
Kindly provide the following information from the records database available with SEBI Justice Retd R M Lodha Committee
regarding my investment
1 PACL Registration Number U Number
Please provide the exact PACL Registration Number U Number linked with my Customer Code LP0001 LK 622 Etawah
and Investor Name Mrs Santosh.
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2 Total Deposited Amount Details
According to the official database records of PACL Ltd available with SEBI Justice R M Lodha Committee what is the total
principal amount recorded as deposited against my Customer Code LP0001 LK 622 Etawah
Please provide the breakup of total receipts verified in the system against my name.
3 Status of Allocated Plot
What is the current custody and legal status of the property allocated to me as per the records of the Justice R M Lodha Committee
Plot Details Plot No F 183 Block B Pearls Royal Garden Lucknow
Has this land property been attached auctioned or taken under custody by the Justice R M Lodha Committee for the refund
process
4 Refund Claim Record Status
As per the internal database of PACL Justice R M Lodha Committee what is the current claim or refund status registered
against my Customer Code LP0001 LK 622 Etawah
5 Procedure for Claim Submission
In case the Original Certificate Bond is lost or unavailable what is the official approved procedure for a legal heir investor to
apply for a refund on the portal using the Provisional Allotment Letter and payment receipts
Reply of the Respondent – The respondent, in response to the application, informed that the information
sought is not available with SEBI. The respondent also stated that all communication regarding refund status
is handled by the Justice (Retd.) R.M. Lodha Committee. The respondent also advised the appellant to
approach the aforementioned Committee. Further, respondent stated that the details of PACL Matters –
Public Notices, Press Releases, Status Report, and FAQs etc. are available on SEBI website.
Ground of appeal – The appellant has filed the appeal on the ground that he was refused access to the
information requested.
I have perused the application and the response provided thereto. The respondent, in his response, has
categorically mentioned that the requested information is not available with SEBI. In this context, I note that
the Hon’ble Central Information Commission (CIC) in the matter of Sh. Pattipati Rama Murthy vs. CPIO,
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SEBI (Decision dated July 8, 2013), held: “… if it (SEBI) does not have any such information in its possession, the
CPIO cannot obviously invent one for the benefit of the Appellant. There is simply no information to be given.” Accordingly,
I do not find any deficiency in the response of the respondent.
The appellant, in her appeal, has requested the instant forum to direct the respondent to transfer her
application to the concerned public authority. I note that the responsibility of disposal of the properties and
repayment to investors, is entrusted with the Justice (Retd.) R. M. Lodha Committee (under the Chairmanship
of Hon’ble Mr. Justice R.M. Lodha, former Chief Justice of India), which has been constituted, pursuant to
the order dated February 2, 2016 of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. I also note that Hon’ble CIC in its
decision in M Shanmugam v CPIO, Pearls Agrotech Corporation Ltd. & Or. (Date of decision: 14.03.2024) had
accepted the contention of the respondent that the Justice Lodha Committee is not public authority under
section 2(h) of the RTI Act. Accordingly, I find that not further intervention of this forum is warranted.
In view of the above observations, I find that there is no need to interfere with the decision of the respondent.
The appeal is accordingly dismissed.
Place: Mumbai
Date: September 17, 2026
RUCHI CHOJER
APPELLATE AUTHORITY UNDER THE RTI ACT
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA
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