SFIO asked to probe 469 companies in 12 years

NEW DELHI: Government asked the Serious Fraud Investigation Office ( SFIO) to probe 184 companies in 2015-16, the highest number for any fiscal in more than a decade.

During the 11-year period from 2004-05 to 2015-16, SFIO was ordered to probe 469 companies, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today.

Out of them, investigations related to 252 companies have been completed and probe involving 206 firms is in progress.

"Besides, investigations involving 11 companies have been quashed or stayed or kept in abeyance by courts," Meghwal said.

As per data provided by the Minister, SFIO investigation was ordered against 184 companies in 2015-16 -- the highest for any financial year in the decade starting from 2004-05.

One investigation was "subsequently quashed/ stayed/ withdrawn" in 2015-16.

In 2014-15, the number of companies that were asked to be investigated by SFIO stood at 71 and the count was at 83 in 2013-14.

"There is always a time lag between the occurrence of fraud, detection of fraud and ordering of investigation," the Minister said.

SFIO comes under the Corporate Affairs Ministry.