Lloyds Enterprises settles listing rule violations case with Sebi

Sebi has allowed Lloyds Enterprises to settle a case involving its then managing director Rajesh Rajnarayan Gupta and then chief financial officer Viresh Shankar Sohoni, after the applicants paid a total settlement amount of Rs 4.16 crore.

The case relates to alleged violations of listing and market conduct rules, including provisions of the Sebi LODR Regulations and PFUTP Regulations. The applicants had filed suo-motu settlement applications and proposed to settle the matter without admitting or denying the findings of fact and conclusions of law.

The matter started after Sebi received an alert report from BSE on November 21, 2023. The alert mentioned irregularities related to advances reported by Lloyds Enterprises. Sebi then conducted an investigation into the company.


The regulator’s investigation found that Lloyds Enterprises had not recognised expected credit losses on advances of Rs 144.82 crore outstanding from Cheerful Trade & Realty Developers Pvt Ltd and Triumph Trade & Properties Developers Pvt Ltd during FY17 to FY21. Sebi said this was required under Ind-AS 109 and that the company had overstated advances in its financial statements.

Sebi also said the company had deployed a scheme under which Rs 144.82 crore of funds were transferred to the two entities in FY07 for the benefit of promoters or their related entities. The funds were lent at nil interest and without any agreement, which caused loss to the listed company, according to the order. The regulator said the funds were misutilised from FY07 to FY23.

The order further said Cheerful Trade & Realty Developers and Triumph Trade & Properties Developers were related parties of Lloyds Enterprises under LODR Regulations, but the company failed to disclose them as related parties in its annual reports from FY17 to FY23. Gupta and Sohoni held the posts of managing director and chief financial officer, respectively, during the relevant period.

As part of the later developments in the matter, Lloyds Enterprises received a 7% partnership interest in Lloyds Metals & Minerals Trading LLP in FY24 in lieu of the Rs 144.82 crore advances. The LLP had a total net worth of Rs 5,852.64 crore in FY24, according to the settlement order.

The High-Powered Advisory Committee considered the revised settlement terms at its meeting on May 27, 2026 and recommended that the case be settled. Lloyds Enterprises was asked to pay Rs 1.28 crore, while Gupta and Sohoni were asked to pay Rs 1.44 crore each.

The recommendations were later approved by the panel of Sebi whole-time members on July 15, 2026. Sebi issued demand notices on July 21, 2026, and the applicants informed the regulator in August that the amounts had been remitted. Sebi confirmed receipt of the money.