Sebi's front-running investigations rise even as overall cases dip

Investigations into front running increased even as the number of probes into other violations specified in the prohibition of fraudulent and unfair trade practices (PFUTP) regulations decreased.

The PFUTP rules cover violations like price manipulation, accounting fraud, and fraudulent accounting practices, in addition to front-running.

Stock market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) took up more front-running investigations and also recorded higher completion rates in financial year ending 2021-22 (FY22), shows an analysis of data from its annual report released earlier this month. The number of front-running cases taken up rose from one to seven. Completed cases rose from two to eight (chart 1).