Kotak Mahindra AMC gets relief from SAT

The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has partly stayed a Sebi order, which had directed Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company to refund a part of the investment management and advisory fees collected by the fund house from the unit holders. In addition, the tribunal has asked the Asset Management Company (AMC) to deposit a sum of Rs 20 lakh within four weeks into an interest bearing account.

Sebi, in August, had asked the AMC to refund a part of the investment management and advisory fees collected from the unit holders of the six Fixed Maturity Plan (FMP) schemes with 15 per cent interest per annum. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) imposed a penalty of Rs 50 lakh on Kotak Mahindra AMC and barred the fund house from launching any new FMP scheme for six months for violating the regulatory norms.

The company had approached SAT against Sebi’s order. “The direction to refund a part of the investment management and advisory fees collected by the appellant (Kotak Mahindra AMC) from the unit holders shall remain stayed,”