Angel One Settles SEBI Probe Over Monitoring Lapses; Pays ₹4.28 Crore

Leading brokerage firm Angel One has resolved its legal dispute with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) by paying a settlement amount of ₹4.28 crore. The settlement brings an end to adjudication and enquiry proceedings regarding the firm's alleged failure to supervise its authorised persons (APs).

Details of the SEBI Allegations

The regulatory proceedings were initiated following allegations that Angel One failed to adequately monitor and supervise the activities of two specific authorised persons, Deepankar Barman and Nadella Srinivas Rao. SEBI had issued show-cause notices in May 2025, highlighting significant gaps in the brokerage's oversight mechanisms.

The regulator alleged that Angel One did not detect unauthorised fund collection activities and failed to conduct necessary due diligence during inspections. Furthermore, the brokerage was flagged for failing to act upon disproportionate trading patterns exhibited by these authorised persons, which should have triggered internal red flags.

Failures in Social Media and Digital Scrutiny

A critical aspect of the SEBI investigation involved the digital conduct of the authorised persons. The regulator alleged that Angel One did not sufficiently scrutinise unauthorised social media activities, particularly regarding one of the individuals.

These activities reportedly included making promises of "assured returns" to potential investors and engaging in unauthorised portfolio management services. Most concerningly, the individuals were allegedly using the Angel One brand name and logo to lend credibility to these unauthorized practices.

Technical and Compliance Lapses

The investigation into Nadella Srinivas Rao revealed specific technical irregularities. SEBI noted that despite large fund collections and disproportionate trading volumes, the brokerage failed to conduct proper inspections. The regulator also identified instances where orders for multiple clients were being placed through the same IP and MAC addresses—a significant breach of standard compliance protocols.

Additionally, both authorised persons were found to be trading through other stockbrokers, a fact that Angel One reportedly failed to identify through its monitoring systems.

Settlement Without Admission of Guilt

Aby rozwiązać tę sprawę, Angel One złożyło wnioski o ugodę w 2025 roku. Zgodnie ze standardowymi praktykami regulacyjnymi, spółka zdecydowała się na ugodowe zakończenie postępowania bez przyznawania ani zaprzeczania ustaleniom organu regulacyjnego.

Po dyskusjach z Komitetem Wewnętrznym SEBI, propozycja ugody została zatwierdzona przez Wysoką Radę Doradczą (High Powered Advisory Committee) oraz panel pełnoetatowych członków (Whole Time Members). Angel One wpłaciło opłatę ugodową w wysokości 4,28 crore ₹ w dniu 22 maja 2026 r., co doprowadziło do formalnego zakończenia postępowania wyjaśniającego zgodnie z przepisami SEBI dotyczącymi postępowań ugodowych (SEBI Settlement Proceedings Regulations).

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