Adani-Hindenburg row: Supreme Court orders SEBI to finish probe within two months, sets up independent expert panel

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered SEBI to complete the probe into the Adani-Hindenburg row within two months. The Top Court also set up an independent experts committee which will be headed by its retired judge Abhay Manohar Sapre.

The other members of the panel include Nandan Nilekani, KV Kamath, OP Bhat, JP Devdhar, and advocate Somasekhar Sundaresan who have been appointed by a bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice JB Pardiwala.

The Apex Court observed that the cases concern the loss of investor wealth over the past few weeks due to a massive decline of Adani group companies following the Hindenburg Research report asked SEBI to examine if there was a violation of market regulations, short-selling norms or stock price manipulation. On February 10, the Court directed the SEBI to suggest measures that could be implemented to protect Indian investors from market volatility.

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On February 17, the Supreme Court decided to constitute an expert committee to inspect if the regulatory mechanism needed to be strengthened to protect Indian investors from market volatility showed in the Hindenburg Research report on Adani Group.

Earlier, the bench had refused to accept the names put forth by the Central Government in a sealed cover for inclusion in the proposed committee. The Top Court had said it will select the experts and maintain full transparency as it would amount to a government-constituted committee if they take names given by the government.

Released on January 24, the Hindenburg Research report claimed “brazen accounting fraud” and “stock manipulation” by the Gautam Adani-led group.

Although the report was rejected by the conglomerate as unresearched and maliciously mischievous, it sparked a massive roar and political debates on social media which led to the firm losing over $120 billion in days and forcing the cancellation of a Rs 20,000 crore secondary share sale.

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