The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has taken strict action against Anil Ambani and his company, Reliance Home Finance Limited (RHFL), for giving out loans without proper scrutiny to companies related to the Reliance group. SEBI has fined Anil Ambani Rs 25 crore and banned him from the securities market for five years. The company and other key management personnel have also faced penalties.
Background of the Case
SEBI’s order, released on a Thursday evening, came after a detailed investigation into allegations of breaking SEBI laws. According to the investigation, in 2018-19, RHFL, under Anil Ambani’s leadership, gave out loans disguised as working capital loans without proper due diligence. These loans, totaling Rs 8,470 crore, were given to companies related to the Reliance ADA Group.
SEBI described Ambani as the “mastermind behind the fraudulent scheme,” highlighting how the loans were given out in a hasty and irregular manner. Many of these loans were approved and disbursed on the same day as the application, and proper procedures were not followed. There was little to no effort made to recover these loans, and Anil Ambani was personally involved in approving them.
SEBI’s Findings on Loan Irregularities
SEBI’s investigation revealed numerous irregularities in the way loans were handled:
- Same-Day Approvals: 62 loans worth Rs 5,552.67 crore were approved on the same day as the loan applications. Similarly, 27 loans worth Rs 1,940.6 crore were disbursed on the same day they were applied for.
- Deviations from Due Process: Credit Approval Memos for loans amounting to Rs 5,850.19 crore showed deviations from the standard process. This included skipping field investigations, not checking customer creditworthiness, not securing the loans, and other procedural lapses.
- Incomplete Documentation: Many loan applications were left blank, with only signatures on the last page, indicating a lack of proper documentation.
Senior officials at RHFL ignored critical issues such as negative net worth and weak financial positions of the borrowing entities. Despite these red flags, loans were approved by the Credit Committee and other leadership figures at RHFL.
Independent Reports Supporting SEBI’s Findings
SEBI’s investigation also considered the findings of two independent reports: one by Price Waterhouse & Co. (the statutory auditor of RHFL) and another by Grant Thornton (a forensic auditor appointed by Bank of Baroda). Both reports supported SEBI’s findings:
- Price Waterhouse & Co.: They withdrew from their audit engagement with RHFL, citing a lack of satisfactory responses to their queries, failure to convene audit committee meetings on time, and legal threats from RHFL.
- Grant Thornton: Their report found similar discrepancies and noted that some borrower entities were initially classified as related parties of other Reliance group companies. Just before loan disbursement, these entities were reclassified as non-related parties, allowing the loans to be processed under less scrutiny.
Penalties Imposed by SEBI
SEBI’s order imposed severe penalties on Anil Ambani, RHFL, and others involved:
- Market Ban: RHFL is banned from accessing or associating with the securities market for six months. Anil Ambani and 26 other individuals and entities face a five-year ban.
- Leadership Ban: Anil Ambani is banned from serving as a director or key managerial personnel in any listed company, holding company, or intermediary registered with SEBI for five years.
- Financial Penalties: SEBI fined RHFL Rs 5 lakh, Anil Ambani Rs 25 crore, RHFL’s CFO Amit Bapna Rs 27 crore, and RHFL’s CEO Ravindra Sudhalkar Rs 26 crore. Other related companies also faced fines of Rs 25 crore each.
Conclusion
SEBI’s stringent actions against Anil Ambani and RHFL highlight the importance of accountability and transparency in financial dealings. The penalties serve as a strong message to the corporate world about the consequences of bypassing regulations and engaging in fraudulent practices. This case underscores the regulator’s commitment to maintaining trust and integrity in India’s financial markets.
