Still eager to work with reliable agency in Sahara case: Sebi

After having put on hold the process of appointing a verification agency in the Sahara case, market regulator Sebi today said it is still eager to work with some 'good and reliable' verification agencies for ascertaining the genuineness of Sahara bond-holders. Mumbai After having put on hold the process of appointing a verification agency in the Sahara case, market regulator Sebi today said it is still eager to work with some "good and reliable" verification agencies for ascertaining the genuineness of Sahara bond-holders. "We are very eager that some good and reliable agencies come forward," Sebi Chairman U K Sinha told reporters at an event organised by Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) here. On Sebi's decision yesterday to withhold the process of appointing the agency, Sinha said, may be the regulator didn't have enough confidence in the agency (under consideration). Last November, Sebi started the process to select an IPV (in-person verification) agency to help it identify the bondholders of Sahara Housing Investment Corporation and Sahara Real Estate Corporation which have been ordered by the Supreme Court to refund the investors' deposits of Rs 24,000. Sebi then decided to carry out in-person verification of bondholders, based on the tonnes of documents that Sahara had to submit to the regulator. Later, the Supreme Court passed another order, allowing Sahara to refund the money in three instalments by the first week of February. But Sahara has defaulted on the January instalment of Rs 10,0000000000. Meanwhile, Sinha refused to comment on the notification to suspend trading of media firm Deccan Chronicle Holdings (DCHL) scrip by NSE from January 23. But, he said "It is a very difficult situation where a company's trading is suspended... It is done keeping in mind that if the trading is allowed to continue, there will be further harm done to small investors." Sinha also refused to comment on the USL-Diageo deal. There have been reports that the regulator is not happy with the contours of the over Rs 11,1000000000 deal. Earlier, Sebi had sought fresh clarifications from Diageo regarding its Rs 5,4410000000 open offer for stake purchase in UB Group's United Spirits. PTI