Parliamentary panel meeting adjourned as SEBI chief skips it due to 'personal exigency'

Buch informed that she won't be able to attend the meeting hours before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting was scheduled to begin.

On Buch skipping the meeting, PAC chairperson and Congress leader KC Venugopal said, "The SEBI chairperson had sought an exception from appearing before the committee which we denied. After that, she confirmed her and her officials’ presence in the committee.

"But today morning, at 9.30 am, we got a communication from the SEBI chairperson and other members that because of a personal exigency, she is not able to travel to Delhi. Considering a woman's request, we thought to postpone today's meeting to another day."

Venugopal said the agenda of the first meeting was the review of the regulatory bodies.

The panel had planned to question Buch and other officials in the backdrop of charges levelled by US based Hindenburg Research against the SEBI chief.

On August 10, the Hindenburg Research accused Buch and her husband of having investments in obscure offshore funds that were allegedly involved in the "Adani money siphoning scandal."

These latest accusations are related to Hindenburg’s January 2023 report, which accused the Adani Group of financial misconduct and stock manipulation.

Hindenburg claimed that SEBI had avoided thoroughly investigating these past allegations due to Buch’s conflict of interest.

Buch, SEBI, and the Adani Group have all denied these recent allegations.