The Supreme Court has cleared the way for investors in the Sahara group’s cooperative societies to get back their money. On a recent hearing the court allowed the release of ₹5,000 crore from the Sahara‑SEBI refund account to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies. This money will be used to reimburse depositors who had invested in Sahara’s credit societies and have been waiting for refunds.
In submissions to the court the central government said claims totalling ₹1,13,504.124 crore have been filed by investors so far. Officials reported that 26,259 refund orders, amounting to ₹5,053.01 crore, have already been approved and paid out. A dedicated online portal has been set up by the Ministry of Cooperation to facilitate claims and more than 13.34 lakh investors have already registered their details on this portal.
These 13.34 lakh claimants are seeking the return of about ₹27,849.85 crore that they had deposited with various Sahara cooperative entities. The portal will remain open for further claims and the government estimates that by March 2026 around 32 lakh more investors will be able to file their paperwork. Depositors who haven’t yet applied can use the portal to submit documents and track the status of their claims.
The court’s decision follows an earlier order issued on 29 March 2023. Under that directive ₹5,000 crore was to be transferred from the Sahara‑SEBI account to the Central Registrar so that refunds could be disbursed to small investors. Friday’s ruling endorsed that transfer and clarified that the funds must be used exclusively for reimbursing depositors of Sahara’s co‑operative societies, such as the credit cooperative society and housing co‑operative society.
Going forward the Central Registrar will verify each claim against available records before releasing payments. Investors have until March 2026 to file their applications and the process will continue until all valid claims are settled. The court has instructed officials to keep it informed of progress. For investors who have waited years to recover their money, the ruling marks a significant step toward resolution.
- Supreme Court released ₹5,000 crore from the Sahara‑SEBI refund account for investor payouts.
- Investors have filed claims totalling ₹1,13,504.124 crore; 26,259 orders worth ₹5,053.01 crore approved.
- Over 13.34 lakh investors registered on the portal, seeking ₹27,849.85 crore in refunds.
- The portal remains open until March 2026, with 32 lakh more investors expected to file claims.
- Funds must be used solely to repay depositors of Sahara cooperative societies.
Content first published on delhibreakings.com
