SEBI chief drawing salary from ICICI and ICICI Prudential: Congress

The Congress party on Monday levelled new accusations against Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch, alleging that she had drawn over ₹12 crore in salary from ICICI Bank between 2017 and 2024. Additionally, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera claimed that Madhabi Puri Buch also received an income of ₹22.41 crore from ICICI Prudential during the same period and received ESOP worth over ₹2 crore from ICICI bank. 
These fresh accusations come after Hindenburg Research claimed that the SEBI chairperson may not have conducted a proper investigation into the Adani Group due to a conflict of interest.
In a press conference, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, “The role of SEBI is to regulate the share market where we all invest our money. It has a very important role to play. Who appoints the chairperson of SEBI? This is the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Prime Minister and Union HM Amit Shah.”
“There are two members in this committee for appointing the chairperson of SEBI. She (SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch), between 2017 and 2014, was taking regular income of ₹16 crore 80 lakhs from ICICI Bank. You are also a full-time SEBI member, then why were you taking a salary from ICICI,” he asked.
Last month, Hindenburg Research, a US-based short seller, alleged that SEBI had been unwilling to act on its January 2023 report on the Adani Group due to investments by Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband, Dhaval Buch, in offshore funds linked to the Gautam Adani-led enterprise.
In January 2023, Hindenburg accused business tycoon Gautam Adani of pulling the largest con in corporate history. Although the infrastructure group denied all allegations of stock-price manipulation, undisclosed related-party transactions, and breach of public shareholding norms, the court asked the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a probe. It also asked a panel of experts to assess whether there had been any regulatory lapses.
The panel of experts concluded that the SEBI’s investigation into the 42 offshore investors in 13 opaque vehicles that had bought chunks of the Adani empire was a “journey without a destination,” reported Bloomberg. 
(With agency inputs)