Finance1 min read

Sebi bars EKI Energy, MD Dabkara, others from market; imposes penalty

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The enforcement action follows a 94-page final order concluding that EKI prematurely recognized Rs 197.04 crore in revenue during the first three quarters of FY23. The company also inflated expenses by Rs 26.34 crore across FY22 and FY23 to understate overall profits. These fictitious service expenses ultimately led to the illicit diversion of corporate funds. Multiple executives and independent directors now face market restrictions and collective fines totaling Rs 88 lakh.

Key points

  • Regulatory findings revealed that the company booked fictitious expenses totaling Rs 26.3…: Regulatory findings revealed that the company booked fictitious expenses totaling Rs 26.34 crore to understate corporate profits.
  • Managing Director Dabkara faces the highest individual penalty of Rs 28 lakh for failing…: Managing Director Dabkara faces the highest individual penalty of Rs 28 lakh for failing to properly monitor financial reporting systems.
  • All penalized individuals and the company must pay their respective fines within a mandat…: All penalized individuals and the company must pay their respective fines within a mandatory period of 45 days.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Also, the regulator has restrained the company's former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mohit Kumar Agarwal from the securities market for eight months, while whole-time directors Naveen Sharma and Sonali Sheikh have been prohibited for five months and one month, respectively.

Besides, Sebi has imposed monetary penalties totalling Rs 88 lakh on the company and other individuals for various violations of securities market regulations.

Further, the markets regulator directed Dabkara to take immediate steps to recoup the amount diverted from EKI Energy Services.

In its 94-page final order, Sebi noted that EKI had prematurely recognised revenue aggregating Rs 197.04 crore during the first three quarters of FY23, thereby misrepresenting its financial performance to investors.

The regulator observed that "EKI's publication and continued disclosure of prematurely recognised revenue of Rs 197.04 crore constituted reckless financial misrepresentation connected with investor decisions concerning its listed shares".

Also, the regulator found that EKI had overstated expenses by Rs 26.34 crore during FY22 and FY23, resulting in an understatement of its profits.

"The company diverted Rs 26.34 crore by overstating expenses during 2021-22 and 2022-23," the…

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