IMPORTANT POINT
SEBI is duty bound to maintain market integrity and prevent market abuse.

JUDGMENT

K. S. Radhakrishnan, J.:-India’s capital market in the recent times has witnessed tremendous growth, characterized particularly by increasing participation of public. Investors’ confidence in the capital market can be sustained largely by ensuring investors’ protection. Disclosure and transparency are the two pillars on which market integrity rests. Facts of the case disclose how the investors’ confidence has been eroded and how the market has been abused for personal gains and attainments.

2. The Appellate Jurisdiction of this Court guaranteed under Section 15Z of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (for short ‘SEBI Act’) has been invoked challenging a joint order dated 5.10.2012 passed in Appeal Nos. 28 and 29 of 2012 passed by Securities Appellate Tribunal, Mumbai (for short ‘Tribunal’) upholding the order passed by SEBI dated April 18, 2011 restraining the appellant for a period of two years from buying, selling or dealing in securities and the order passed by the adjudication officer dated July 28, 2011 imposing a monetary penalty of 50 lacs under Section 15HA of SEBI Act.

3. The appellant was the promoter as well as a whole time Director of M/s Pyramid Saimira Theatre Limited (PSTL), a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956. The shares of PSTL were listed on Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd. (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) at the relevant time. The company was involved in the business of Exhibition (Theatre), Film and Television, Content Production, Distribution, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Animation and Gaming and Cine Advertising etc. The company had nine Directors, including the appellant herein. The investigation department of SEBI noticed that the company had committed serious irregularities in its books of accounts and showed inflated profits and revenues in the financial statements and lured the general public to invest in the shares of the company based on such false financial statements thereby violated the provisions of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practice Relating to Securities Market) Regulations, 2003 (for short ‘Regulations 2003’). Consequently, a notice was issued to the appellant and to the other Directors stating that they had violated Section 12A of SEBI Act and Regulation 3(b), 3(c), 3(d), 4(1), 4(2)(a), 4(2)(e), 4(2)(f), 4(2)(k), 4(2)(r) of Regulations 2003 and were directed to show cause why appropriate directions as deemed fit and proper under Sections 11, 11B and 11(4) of the SEBI Act read with Regulation 11 of Regulations 2003 be not issued against them.

4. The appellant replied to the show cause notice vide letter dated February 3, 2010 stating that there were no irregularities and the company’s Managing Director and the Principal Officer would send a detailed reply in that regard. Later, a notice dated April 8, 2010 under Rule 4(1) of the SEBI (Procedure for Holding Inquiry and imposing penalties by Adjudicating Officer) Rules, 1995 was issued to the Directors to show cause why penalty be not imposed under Section 15HA of the SEBI Act for the alleged contravention of the provision of the Act.

5. The appellant submitted a detailed reply stating that it was the Managing Director and Principal Officer of the company who was in charge of day-to-day affairs of the company including the operations, finance and accounts, secretarial and compliance, legal services and technical services. Appellant, it was stated, though was a whole time Director of the company was only handling Human Resource Department of the company and was fully engrossed in the recruitment of personnel, training and team buildup. Further, it was also stated that he had only relied upon the auditor’s statements in financial matters and hence was not personally liable for the violation of the provisions of SEBI Act and Regulations 2003. Personal hearing was accorded to the appellant on 30.8.2010. Written Submissions dated 15.9.2010 filed by t