PACL refund: SEBI appellate authority dismisses RTI appeal, here's where to seek help

SEBI’s appellate authority passed an order on 2 November 2026 in an RTI appeal linked to PACL. The appeal was filed by Ramapati Kuar, who had sought details about her PACL certificate’s refund and the land shown against it.

What the case was about

According to the order, the appellant filed an RTI application on 3 October 2026. She asked for details such as the plot or khasra number of the land shown as allotted, the village, tehsil and district, the area of land, the name of the PACL project, and copies of related land documents. She also asked whether the record shows an actual allotment, registration or possession, or only an allotment entry in the data given by PACL Ltd.

SEBI replied on 6 October 2026. As per the order, SEBI said the information sought is not available with it. SEBI also said that all communication about refund status is handled by the Justice (Retd.) R.M. Lodha Committee and advised the appellant to approach it. SEBI further pointed to PACL-related public notices, press releases, status reports and FAQs on its website.

What the authority said

The appellant was not satisfied with SEBI’s reply and filed an appeal. After going through the application, the reply and the appeal, the authority noted that SEBI had clearly stated the information is not with it. The order cited a Central Information Commission decision of 8 July 2013, which held that if a body does not have the information, it cannot invent it.

The authority also recorded that the responsibility for disposing of PACL’s properties and repaying investors rests with the Justice (Retd.) R.M. Lodha Committee, constituted under the Supreme Court’s order of 2 February 2016.

What happens now

The authority found no deficiency in SEBI’s response and dismissed the appeal. The order notes that the appellant may be guided by the Lodha Committee and the information already available in the public domain on SEBI’s website.