4,493 Investor Complaints Resolved Via SEBI SCORES in May, Backlog Rises Slightly Amid Surge in New Cases

Moneylife Digital Team 16 June 2025

Investor Interest

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) addressed 4,493 investor complaints through its online redressal platform, SCORES (SEBI Complaints Redress System), in May 2025. However, a surge in new grievances, totalling 4,793 during the month, led to a marginal increase in the number of unresolved complaints. In its latest disclosure, SEBI also named Smartowner Capital Growth Trust as the only entity with an unresolved complaint lingering for more than three months, raising concerns about the delay in investor grievance handling by certain firms.

According to SEBI, by the end of May, the total number of pending complaints stood at 4,563, a slight uptick from the 4,263 unresolved cases reported on 30 April 2025.

While SEBI and market intermediaries continued to maintain an efficient turnaround time, the volume of fresh complaints slightly outpaced resolution efforts. The average time taken by entities to submit action taken reports (ATRs) was eight days, a figure consistent with prior months. For complaints escalated to the first level review (FLR), the average resolution time was five days.

The SCORES (https://scores.gov.in ) platform, launched in 2011, enables investors to file complaints against listed companies, stockbrokers, mutual funds, depositories, and other SEBI-registered intermediaries.

Under the upgraded SCORES 2.0 framework, once a complaint is filed, it is auto-forwarded to the concerned entity, which must respond within 21 days. If the investor is dissatisfied with the response, they may initiate an FLR within 15 days and further escalate to a second-level review (SLR) if required. SEBI steps in only after both levels of review are exhausted. An online dispute resolution (ODR) mechanism is also available as an alternative.

The monthly performance update underscores SEBI's ongoing efforts to maintain a responsive redressal system for retail investors. However, with complaint inflow exceeding disposal in May, the need for quicker resolution and tighter compliance remains evident.

SEBI has urged investors to use the SCORES portal proactively and to escalate complaints when dissatisfied. The regulator also reiterated that complaints are kept pending if investors are given an opportunity to escalate or review the response, even after the entity has submitted an ATR.

Comments

User

vs.iyer316

12 months ago

Royal Twinkle / Citrus investors money are not returned. Only there is an information that the properties are being sold. When this activit will be final only SEBI or God knows.