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One in five unreserved train tickets booked via RailOne app in Thiruvananthapuram

Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner warns LPG distributors against black-market sale of cylinders

The Deputy Commissioner says distributors must ensure that domestic LPG cylinders are supplied to consumers strictly on a first-booked, first-delivered basis.

Cashier of a petrol pump booked for using fake number plate on his scooter

The curious case of Rajesh Exports: Massive revenues, meagre profits

Mumbai: It is India's fourth biggest company by revenue, but the managing director of precious metals trader Rajesh Exports (REL) apparently doesn't know how and from where it gets the biggest chunk of the revenue, show the findings of a regulatory investigation.In its investigation report, the Securities and Exchange Board of India observed allegedly unscrupulous activities by REL's promoters, such as accounting irregularities and siphoning off of company funds into personal accounts, and also pointed out lapses by its auditors. The regulator said the company and its auditors were non-cooperative."The acts of REL constitute a deliberate device, scheme and artifice to mislead and defraud investors dealing in the shares of REL by portraying an inflated and misleading picture of its operational scale, revenue and financial health," Sebi observed in its report.The company, eponymously named after its chairman Rajesh Mehta, is accused of committing an elaborate financial fraud that includes dressing-up of revenues of ₹15.15 lakh crore over the years, personal gold trades covered up as corporate sales and phoney gold mine investments of ₹1,035 crore, according to the interim report.REL denied the charges of misdeeds. In a press release Thursday, the company said the revenues stated in its financials were correct and that the confusion arose because of a mix-up between Ebitda and revenue numbers at Swiss refiner Valcambi SA, an indirect subsidiary.Sebi has not made any adverse observation with regard to earnings, the company said, claiming that the regulator has only observed suspicion with regard to revenues which was primarily because of confusion over the Valcambi numbers.Numbers don't add upIn fiscal 2025, REL reported consolidated revenue of ₹4.23 lakh crore against a profit after tax of just ₹95 crore, translating into a net margin of barely 0.02%. The year before, on ₹2.8 lakh crore revenue, profit was ₹336 crore.Experts who have studied the Sebi report and the company's annual reports say the numbers did not add up. The business appeared to be operating at margins that were not merely thin but structurally negligible, they said."It looks like a case of pass-through accounting. There is no value creation. It was 'flow of gold' being booked as revenue," said a leading auditor on the condition of anonymity.Sebi, which began the investigations in March 2024 following a shareholder complaint about suspected accounting malpractices, said it found that about 97-99% of REL's consolidated revenues were attributed to its overseas subsidiaries, principally Valcambi. But Valcambi's own accounts, audited by KPMG SA, recorded only processing fees that were about ₹3,027 crore across five years.Valcambi refined gold on behalf of clients and never took ownership of the precious metal or recognised the value of gold as revenue in its books. Yet, Global Gold Refineries AG (GGR), the parent of Valcambi that had no independent operating business, recorded gross revenues running into hundreds of crores by including the gross value of gold that actually belonged to others, according to the Sebi report.Rajesh Exports, which owns GGR through a Singapore subsidiary, used those unaudited figures in its financial statements, significantly bumping up the company's revenue, it said.In its press release, REL said: "The core observation in the order is with regard to the misreporting of the revenues. This has emerged primarily due to confusion because Sebi has considered the Ebitda of Valcambi instead of revenue hence it has stated that there is a difference of about 97% in the revenue.""There is no reason for any listed entity to inflate revenue and maintain the earnings, this will only reduce the margins of the company, which would be adverse to the company," it said.Senior management in the darkThe senior management of REL told regulators that most of them were in the dark about the company's overseas operations and only the promoter, Rajesh Mehta, dealt with those activities."Valcambi SA does not have any gold mine on its own," managing director Suresh Gowda was quoted in the Sebi order as saying. "It refines the raw gold purchased by it from various entities, whose names I do not recollect, as these things are exclusively handled by Rajesh Mehta, chairman of REL. I have never interacted nor involved with any subsidiary/step-down subsidiary of REL, as these were exclusively taken care of by Rajesh Mehta," he told the investigators, as per the order.According to the report, REL booked ₹11,487 crore in sales between 2021-22 and 2023-24 to Affluence Shares and Stocks, a broker that made up to 66% of the company's standalone revenue for that period. But Affluence, in formal depositions to the regulator, said it had not done any business with REL.Following the transaction trail, the investigators found out that the transactions were personal gold derivative trades executed by promoter Mehta using his own brokerage account and then recorded in the company's books as corporate sales, the order said.The investigators also found that Mehta used corporate funds. As per the Sebi observations, bank records show REL transferred ₹338.90 crore directly into Mehta's personal accounts between April 2020 and September 2025.Unlike in the case of Nirav Modi or Gitanjali Gems, who are accused of bank fraud, Rajesh Exports doesn't appear to have borrowed big from banks or through sale of bonds, according to regulatory filings.The company's market cap was just over ₹3,000 crore, as per Thursday's closing share price. LIC (10.8%) and Bridge India Fund (8.46%) are its major institutional shareholders."It is striking that, even at a peak market capitalisation of ₹25,000 crore, the company did not hold any analyst calls, a basic expectation for a listed company of that scale," said Shriram Subramanian, founder and managing director of InGovern Research Services, a corporate governance advisory firm.The regulator in 2024 hired BDO India Services to investigate. But the forensic audit faced problems at almost every stage of the investigation. It was denied access to ERP systems and was not provided a complete journal dump, preventing independent verification of transactions recorded in the books, according to the regulatory report.And the company declined to share subsidiary-level records with the investigator, citing Swiss data protection laws, limiting auditors largely to reviewing financial statements prepared by the management itself rather than underlying evidence, it said.What's also come under the scanner was the conduct of statutory auditors for the last few years: CA PV Ramana Reddy, the proprietor at PV Ramana Reddy & Co, and CA PL Venkatadri, partner at BSD & Co.The company's FY24 and FY25 annual reports, filed with the stock exchanges, carry an unqualified opinion from BSD & Co, which concluded that the financial statements presented a "true and fair view" in line with Indian Accounting Standards.The company's FY24 Directors' Report noted that the statutory and secretarial auditors had made no qualifications, reservations or adverse remarks.The Sebi report said for over five months, the auditors sat on the regulator's request for missing documents and statements.Emails sent to both audit firms did not elicit any response.REL closed 5% lower at ₹103.92 Thursday on the NSE. The shares are down from their peak of ₹1,028.40 on February 6, 2023.

Dattatraya Patil Revoor booked for saying Congress leaders trying to turn Kalaburagi into ‘Pakistan’

Revoor made the remarks during a BJP protest against the State govt.’s decision to withdraw cases related to the Aland communal violence

Chocolate manufacturing unit raided in Hyderabad, owner booked for food safety violations

Met On Facebook, Promised Marriage: MP Deputy Collector Booked For Sexual Exploitation

In September 2025, the same deputy collector was suspended following allegations of inappropriate behaviour with women.

Father In ICU, Son Booked Rooms To Be Closer To Him. Hours Later, 8 Of Family Died In Delhi Fire

The family had been staying at the hotel as Vivek's father, Radhe Shyam Agarwal, was undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.

Twisha Sharma Death Case: Giribala Skips Chana Dal, Sleeps Easy; Son Samarth Tosses & Turns In Jail

Booked into Bhopal Central Jail, retired judge Giribala Singh is now Prisoner No. 71. Her son Samarth, lodged in Barrack 4-B with 15 others, has been assigned Prisoner No. 1782.

36 arrests in a day as Kochi City police launch ‘Operation Toofan’

Kochi City police registered 33 NDPS cases during raids across 90 locations as part of the Statewide anti-narcotics drive. Seven COTPA cases booked

Building that collapsed in Delhi's Saidulajab was ‘booked’ by MCD, but no action taken

At least 125,755 properties in Delhi have been booked as of May 31 this year, and these buildings and their owners are liable to face a raft of penalties.

New audio deepens concerns around Josh Jacobs’ arrest investigation

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs is facing increased scrutiny after newly released dispatch audio revealed reports of yelling, screaming, and objects being thrown inside his Wisconsin home before his arrest. Authorities later booked Jacobs on multiple domestic abuse-related charges, including a felony count of strangulation and suffocation. Jacobs has denied all allegations through his attorneys, who say key evidence has yet to be made public as the investigation continues.

Food Safety officials raid restaurant, case booked

Manipur: Minors caught in crossfire pick up guns, bombs, lose their innocence

114 minors allegedly involved in 95 cases have been booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) between May, 2023 and April this year, state social welfare department data showed

Suzlon Energy shares fall over 2% after SEBI fines Rs 29 crore for misleading financial statements

Shares of renewable energy player Suzlon Energy fall 2.2% to Rs 55.87 on the BSE on Monday after capital markets regulator Sebi levied penalties totalling nearly Rs 29 crore on Suzlon Energy and several former executives. Sebi concluded that the company misrepresented its financial position through transactions involving subsidiaries, inflated profits and inadequate disclosures.In a 96-page order issued on May 29, Sebi said Suzlon and certain former executives violated provisions of the Sebi Act, PFUTP Regulations, listing regulations and disclosure requirements. The order replaces an earlier adjudication order issued in June 2025 and confirms multiple violations by the company and its executives.Among the penalised individuals, former executive Vinod R. Tanti was fined Rs 5.75 crore, while Girish R. Tanti was directed to pay Rs 5.45 crore. Former Group CFO Kirti J. Vagadia was fined Rs 1.5 crore and former CFO Amit Agarwal was fined Rs 30 lakh.The matter stemmed from an anonymous complaint received by Sebi in December 2019 alleging irregularities in transactions involving Suzlon's subsidiaries and associate entities. A subsequent forensic audit and investigation covering FY15 to FY20 and the first nine months of FY21 examined several issues, including dealings with subsidiaries, impairment reversals, contingent liabilities and financial statement disclosures.Sensex, Nifty today: Catch all the LIVE stock market action hereOne key observation related to the transfer of Suzlon's operations and maintenance services business to its subsidiary, Suzlon Global Services Ltd, in March 2014. Sebi noted that the business, valued at around Rs 77 crore, was transferred for Rs 2,000 crore, resulting in Suzlon recording an accounting gain of Rs 1,922.92 crore.According to the regulator, the subsidiary lacked the financial capacity to fund the transaction. Sebi found that a significant portion of the consideration was subsequently reflected as paid through circular movement of funds between the two entities. The regulator said the arrangement created artificial profits and inflated the company's net worth. It observed that Suzlon's FY14 net worth would have been Rs 741 crore without the transaction, compared with the reported figure of Rs 2,664 crore.Sebi further noted that Suzlon later booked an additional gain of Rs 829.78 crore by transferring its stake in the subsidiary to another wholly owned entity, effectively recognising profit a second time on the same underlying assets. According to the regulator, these transactions helped the company portray a stronger financial position and supported subsequent fund-raising and restructuring efforts.The order also addressed a standby letter of credit connected to loans taken by a foreign subsidiary. Sebi said a contingent liability of about $569 million, or roughly Rs 4,050 crore, which had been disclosed in FY17, was not reflected in FY18 contingent liability disclosures after being reclassified under an accounting standard related to insurance contracts. The regulator held that the treatment was inappropriate and materially reduced the visibility of the company's financial exposure.In addition, Sebi reviewed investments and loans involving subsidiaries SE Forge Ltd and Suzlon Gujarat Wind Park. It found that several transactions involved circular routing of funds, conversion of loans into equity and later impairment of investments. According to the regulator, these transactions resulted in financial statements that did not accurately represent the underlying economic substance.Sebi concluded that the company's financial statements and disclosures failed to present a true and fair view of its financial position. The regulator said financial statements and disclosures form the basis on which investors and other market participants assess a listed company's financial health and prospects.While Sebi noted that disproportionate gains and investor losses could not be quantified with precision, it said the violations were serious because they related to financial information disseminated to investors and relied upon by the market.Sebi imposed the penalties under provisions relating to fraudulent and unfair trade practices, disclosure lapses and violations of listing obligations. The notices must pay the penalties within 45 days of receiving the order.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

699 booked for drunk driving in Bengaluru during week-long police crackdown

The operation was carried out by personnel from all 53 traffic police stations in Bengaluru as part of efforts to improve road safety and reduce accidents caused by reckless driving.

Married woman dies by suicide in Rajasthan, five in-laws booked for dowry death

Married woman dies by suicide in Rajasthan, five in-laws booked for dowry death

DVAC registers case against Tahsildar, VAO in Vellore

Cases were booked under Prevention of Corruption (Amendement) Act 2018

4 convicts booked for attacking accused in rape and murder case

1,036 motorists booked for drunk driving across tri-commissionerate limits in special enforcement drives