Supreme Court Approves Additional ₹5,000 Crore Payout to Sahara Investors

The Supreme Court has granted permission to release an additional ₹5,000 crore from the Sahara-SEBI refund account for distribution to investors of Sahara Group’s cooperative societies. This decision comes as part of ongoing efforts to return funds collected from millions of investors through various Sahara schemes.

 

The bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, approved the central government’s request to extend financial relief to affected investors. It directed that the funds be disbursed under the supervision of Justice (Retd.) R. Subhash Reddy, who heads the disbursement process.

 

As of now, claims worth ₹13,504 crore have been filed by investors. The government informed the court that around 26,25,090 applications have been processed and that disbursement of an additional ₹5,053 crore has been approved. With this order, approximately 32 lakh investors will now be able to claim their refunds.

 

The Supreme Court also extended the deadline for refund distribution from March 2023 to 31 December 2026, providing more time for eligible investors to submit claims. Those who have not yet filed claims can do so via the designated government portal.

 

The court instructed that all necessary steps be taken to ensure a transparent and efficient distribution process. It also ordered the transfer of the approved amount to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, who will oversee payments to verified claimants.

 

This decision marks another significant step in the long-standing Sahara refund saga, aiming to return investors’ hard-earned money. With the latest order, the total disbursed amount from the Sahara-SEBI account is expected to exceed ₹24,979 crore, providing substantial relief to small investors.