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2015 (11) TMI 591 - SECURITIES APPELLATE TRIBUNAL MUMBAIGuilty of sponsoring and managing “Collective Investment Scheme” without obtaining certificate of registration from SEBI - contravention of Section 12(1B) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 and Regulation 3 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Collective Investment Schemes) Regulations, 1999 - Held that:- Except finding fault with the appellant in not seeking registration before operating the scheme, no fault is found in the scheme operated by the appellant. In other words, SEBI does not find fault with the scheme of the appellant which neither offered guaranteed return nor offered interest on the amount invested. In such a case, on what basis appellant is directed to refund the amount invested with interest at the rate of 10% per annum is not set out in the impugned order. It is relevant to note that even after issuing a press note on February 13, 2008, SEBI itself was not sure till 2013 as to whether the scheme in question is covered under CIS or not. In fact when respondent no. 2 who had invested in the scheme had complained against the appellant, SEBI by its communication dated 31.01.2011 informed the respondent no. 2 that the scheme was not covered under CIS and therefore the investors who have invested in the scheme of the appellant cannot seek redressal of their grievances from SEBI. It is only when this Tribunal on 29.11.2012 set aside the said communication dated 31.01.2011 and directed SEBI to reexamine the issue afresh in accordance with law, SEBI has passed the impugned order on April 15, 2013 holding that the scheme floated by the appellant is covered under CIS. Thus decision of SEBI that the scheme in question does not fall within the purview of SEBI held the field till SEBI changed its stand and passed the impugned order on April 15, 2013. In such a case, for the error committed by SEBI in misconstruing its own regulations and for the inordinate delay on part of SEBI in arriving at correct conclusion whether the appellant can be penalized by directing to refund the amount with interest at the rate of 10% from the date of investment needs consideration, especially when the scheme has come to an end in the year 2010 and the terms of the said scheme neither offered guaranteed return nor offered interest on the amount invested. Although regulation 65 of CIS Regulations empower SEBI to direct refund with interest in appropriate cases, how in the facts of present case, directing refund of the amount invested with interest is justified, is not set out in the impugned order. Explanation given by the appellant that due to recession in the market the art works could not be sold at a profit is not doubted in the impugned order. In such a case, it is not known as to on what basis direction to pay amount of profits/income to the investors is given. Even counsel for respondent no. 2 finds fault with the impugned order, and submits that the WTM has not done the work of ascertaining the profits if any, at the time when the scheme ended and further submits that NAV (ex-income) ought to have been taken into consideration by the WTM while passing the impugned order. Thus while upholding the impugned order of SEBI to the extent it holds that the scheme operated by the appellant during the period from 2006 to 2010 constituted CIS, we set aside the directions contained in the impugned order to the extent it directs the appellant to refund the monies collected by it under the said scheme but remaining unpaid to all the investors and also set aside the direction given by SEBI to the appellant to pay profits/income due to the investors or pay interest at the rate of 10% per annum from the date of investment till the date of refund, whichever is higher and direct SEBI to decide those issues afresh after affording an opportunity of hearing to the appellant and the respondent no. 2.
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