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Sebi refuses more data to US trading firm Jane Street as probe deepens

SAT admits US trading firm's plea; next hearing on November 18

Sebi

Sebi countered that the requested material was not relied upon in the July 3 order and contains confidential or irrelevant details.

Khushboo Tiwari Mumbai

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The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Tuesday told the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) that no further data would be shared with Jane Street, citing the ongoing and expanding scope of its investigation against the US-based trading firm.
 
A three-member SAT Bench, led by Justice PS Dinesh Kumar, admitted appeals filed by Jane Street and its group entities. It directed Sebi to explain within three weeks why documents sought by the firm cannot be disclosed.
 
Jane Street may file its rejoinder in the following three weeks. The matter will be heard again on November 18.
 
The case is being closely tracked for its potential implications on India’s derivatives market.
 
 
Meanwhile, Jane Street’s personal hearing in relation to Sebi’s July 3 ex-parte interim order, earlier set for September 15, has been adjourned.
 
In that order, Sebi had alleged market manipulation by Jane Street. According to the regulator, the firm used a two-legged strategy — first building long positions in Nifty Bank constituents in both cash and futures to inflate the index, then unwinding while maintaining short positions in index options.
 
Sebi lifted Jane Street’s temporary trading ban after it deposited ₹4,844 crore, which the regulator categorised as gains from “manipulative practices.”
 
Appearing for Sebi, senior counsel Gaurav Joshi said the firm has already been provided with over 10 gigabytes of data and no additional information will be shared.
 
Jane Street, however, has demanded prior surveillance and investigation reports, including one by Sebi’s Integrated Surveillance Department and correspondence with the National Stock Exchange (NSE). The firm claims these documents cleared it of wrongdoing and are vital to its defence.
 
Sebi countered that the requested material was not relied upon in the July 3 order and contains confidential or irrelevant details.
 
“The investigation is at a very critical stage. We are not going to give every single document. Most of the material (sought) is irrelevant, or confidential and not required to be given at this stage. No show-cause has been issued because we are still investigating the matter. The period may be significantly larger. The scope of the show-cause may enlarge significantly more than what is pointed out in the interim order,” argued Joshi.
 
He further said that Jane Street is required to explain its trading strategies to Sebi. And, the regulator cannot share all the documents sought, such as draft reports, minutes of the meeting, and analysis of Sebi circulars.
 
Representing Jane Street, senior counsel Darius Khambata pressed for disclosure of the correspondence with NSE. “Why should Sebi be concerned about producing it? Is it because the report exonerates us? If it is material, it must be disclosed,” he said.
 
The trading firm has also sought disclosure of the complaint made by a UAE-based hedge fund manager, which Jane Street claims to have led to a ‘flipping’ of the case in just 20 days of the prior reports.
 
Jane Street also sought complete trade logs with counterparty details, some of which Sebi had masked. The regulator clarified that only unrelated third-party names were withheld.
 
Jane Street maintains that the NSE’s analysis, covering nearly 16 of the 25 months cited by Sebi, found no evidence that its trades distorted prices to benefit its derivatives positions. 

Sebi stands firm

 
  • Jane Street sought details of an earlier report by Sebi-ISD, correspondence with NSE for its defence
  • Sebi declined sharing the additional details in August
  • Trading firm filed application in the SAT last week, plea admitted on Tuesday
  • SAT has directed Sebi to file reply in three weeks
 

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First Published: Sep 09 2025 | 12:53 PM IST

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