The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting, originally scheduled for Thursday, was postponed due to the unavailability of SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch and other officials. The committee was set to review the performance of the market regulator, SEBI, amid ongoing controversy surrounding the organization and its chair.
The postponement was announced by PAC panel chairperson K C Venugopal, who revealed that a communication was received at 9:30 AM on Thursday from Buch and other SEBI officials citing a personal emergency as the reason for their inability to travel to Delhi for the meeting.
Buch’s planned appearance before the PAC comes at a critical juncture, following allegations of conflict of interest levied by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research. These allegations have sparked widespread scrutiny of SEBI’s actions and Buch’s leadership.
Venugopal acknowledged the urgency of the situation but emphasized the committee’s decision to postpone the meeting in light of the request made by a woman. The PAC has indicated that a new date for the meeting will be scheduled soon.
The postponement of the PAC meeting adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing saga surrounding SEBI and the allegations against Buch. It remains to be seen how the committee’s investigation will proceed and what impact it will have on the future of the market regulator.