
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has passed an adjudication order against National Steel and Agro Industries Limited for trading in illiquid stock options on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).…
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has passed an adjudication order against National Steel and Agro Industries Limited for trading in illiquid stock options on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The order was issued on August 19, 2026, and a penalty has been imposed on the company.
The regulator found that the company executed trades that contributed to the creation of artificial volumes in illiquid stock options, violating SEBI's prohibition on fraudulent and unfair trade practices. The adjudication officer noted that such trades undermine market integrity and investor confidence.
National Steel and Agro Industries has been directed to pay the penalty within 45 days of receiving the order. The company may also appeal the decision before the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) within the stipulated period.
This order is part of SEBI's wider crackdown on the use of illiquid stock options to inflate trading volumes, a practice that has been a regulatory concern for several years. The BSE's options segment saw numerous such violations between 2014 and 2015, leading to multiple enforcement actions. For companies like National Steel, the penalty adds to compliance costs and can impact their market reputation. Investors should watch for any appeal by the company to SAT, which could delay or alter the penalty. The exact quantum of the fine and the number of entities penalised in this round will be key indicators of the scale of SEBI's enforcement.
Source: sebi.gov.in
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