Sebi sets one-year target for probes, warns manipulators

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has set a one-year target to complete investigations, saying that the long-drawn probe processes are a thing of past and manipulators can't escape the long arm of the law.

"The impression about market manipulators going scot-free or the enforcement action getting delayed for years are all matters of the past," Sebi chairman UK Sinha told PTI in an interview.

"There may have been some cases in the past, but right now we are reasonably current. I will not say that we are current to the level of a few months, but we are very current on our investigations. Our target is, going forward, no case will be kept pending for beyond a year. That is the target I am giving to our executives and we are moving towards that. I am hundred percent sure that we will be able to achieve that target," Sinha said.

He added, "So, the impression that the investigations have got delayed for years together in the past, that will not happen now. From the system that was there earlier and the system and processes we have got right now, there is a world of a difference." Sinha also warned market manipulators of strong action.

He said the regulator will always have an upper edge with robust surveillance systems and safeguard mechanism for the markets and the investors. Sinha observed, however, that Sebi needs to remain continuously vigilant and improve systems each passing day.

"It is a continuous exercise for us at Sebi to keep on improvising our systems and this is exactly what we are doing," he said He further said that Sebi was providing ample training opportunities to its investigating and adjudicating officers.

"They have been provided training at best places in the country, and in some cases, they have been provided training outside India. So, now they are better prepared to handle cases," Sinha said.

Sinha further said that one of the issues that used to cause lot of delay was its consent mechanism. "We have made changes in this system as well, making it very transparent in terms of making it very clear that what the cases are where we can go for consent mechanism."

"Then we are also going for improving the enforceability of our orders. So, the success rate of our orders with the appellate has gone up and it is improving year by year. Thirdly, we are working on the quality of our orders. We are making our orders very well-written and well-argued," he said.