Co-location case: SEBI bars NSE from security markets for 6 months, directs to pay Rs 625 crore

Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Tuesday barred National Stock Exchange (NSE) from the securities market for six months in the case of misuse of its co-location facility. It also directed NSE to pay more than Rs 625 crore in the case of misuse of its co-location facility.

 

Sebi has been probing alleged lapses in high-frequency trading offered through NSE's co-location facility. Besides, the bourse's two former chief executive officers -- Ravi Narain and Chitra Ramkrishna -- have been asked to disgorge 25 per cent of respective salaries drawn during a certain period.

 

They have also been prohibited from "associating with a listed company or a Market Infrastructure Institution or any other market intermediary for a period of five years," Sebi said in a 104-page order.

 

According to the order, the exchange has also been prohibited from accessing the securities market directly or indirectly for six months.

 

The bourse "shall disgorge an amount of Rs 624.89 crore... along with interest calculated at the rate of 12 per cent per annum from April 1, 2014 onwards to the Investor Protection and Education Fund (IPEF) created by Sebi," the order said.