Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, wife settle Aptech insider trading case with Sebi

Ten individuals pay a total of Rs 37 cr towards settling the case

Billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, wife Rekha Jhunjhunwala and eight others have settled a case pertaining to alleged insider trading in shares of Aptech by agreeing to pay more than Rs 37 crore. This is the combined amount paid by ten individuals and includes settlement charges, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and interest charges.

The case was settled under the so-called consent route, where an alleged wrongdoer can close a pending matter with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) without admitting or denying the charges leveled against them.

The matter pertains to dealing in shares of Aptech—where Jhunjhunwala and family members are promoters—while in possession of unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI)

In September 2016, Aptech had announced its foray into the preschool segment. As per the Sebi order, this was an UPSI between March 14, 2016 and September 7, 2016, the date of official announcement.

“It is alleged that Utpal Seth and Rakesh Jhunjhunwala were in possession of the UPSI and communicated the same to other applicants. On the basis of the UPSI, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Rekha Jhunjhunwala, Rajeshkumar Jhunjhunwala, Shushila Devi Gupta, Sudha Gupta and Ushma Seth Sule are alleged to have traded in the scrip of Aptech during the UPSI period,” the Sebi order says.

The total charges paid by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala are Rs 18.5 crore, of which the disgorgement amount is nearly Rs six crore. Wife Rekha has paid Rs 3.2 crore.

Aptech board members, including investor Ramesh S Damani and director Madhu Jayakumar, have paid Rs 6.2 crore and Rs 1.7 crore respectively.