Article – SEBI Raid on Avadhut Sathe: What You Need to Know

Jai Siya Ram

SEBI Raid on Avadhut Sathe: What You Need to Know – News Style Brief

A Pune-based “finfluencer” and trading educator, Sathe is known for his theatrical teaching style—complete with dance, giant chart displays, and interactive sessions that invite students onstage.
He founded ASTA (Avadhut Sathe Trading Academy) in 2008. The academy has since expanded to 17 branches across India, offering courses in multiple languages, including online options.
Sathe boasts a large following—with over 900,000 YouTube subscribers and training more than 18,000 participants from middle-class backgrounds.

On August 20, a search and seizure operation was carried out at his Karjat-based academy and residence—initiated early in the morning and continuing into the evening.
The raid lasted up to 36 hours, during which SEBI officials seized digital devices and trading data from the premises.
The operation had been long planned and pre-approved by court orders, with reconnaissance and movement tracking conducted beforehand.

The action targeted alleged promotion of penny stocks disguised as classroom examples, which may have inflated stock prices and misled retail investors. Complaints had reached SEBI as early as 2023.
SEBI’s whole-time member, Kamlesh Chandra Varshney, signaled that the operation aimed to send a strong message: finfluencers promoting guaranteed returns or giving trading tips without proper registration will face enforcement.

This is part of a wider SEBI crackdown on unregistered market educators and social media influencers who may misguide retail investors.
SEBI also issued a fresh advisory cautioning investors against misleading claims about access to foreign institutional investments (FPI/FII) being circulated via WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media.