GECs
Dabba Trading: A multi-crore Stock Exchanges fraud captured on Channel7’s camera
A daily illegal transaction of Rs 40,000 crores in Gujarat alone!!
Specialised software that can penetrate BSE Index!!
Proven underworld links – for the first time – in Indian stock markets!!
For the first time on Indian television, the Channel 7 investigation team records on camera the sensational story of dabba trading that has had both the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on the tenterhooks with its illegal dealings touching a whopping Rs 40,000 in the state of Gujarat alone.
In a daring weeklong operation, braving all odds, Channel 7’s special investigating team spent time with the brokers and shot their entire operations all over Gujarat. The total amount of daily transaction in dabba trading is half of the country’s Rs. 83,000 crore defence budget. All in a single day of transaction. All in a single state. The team records the live drama for the Indian viewer – for whom the stock markets are an ideal investment destination – and highlights the actual scale operations of dabba trading.
The special investigation team of Channel 7 brings to the forefront the skillful use of technology, which has the capability of causing grave price distortions and volatility in the capital market. Operating from non-descript addresses, the brokers – their office packed with sophisticated equipment and gadgetry – act as hubs for nationwide operations of dabba. Available at a high price of Rs 200,000, these sophisticated software helps them penetrate the bourse and manipulate stocks.
The show also illustrates the gullibility of investors who become party to dabba trading and make some initial money from what they perceive as a casino-like bank of the dabba-operator. But soon they become victims of circumstances and lose precious investments. The team has captured their views for the first time on Indian television.
The in-depth investigation of the team also reveals how the dabba traders have developed their links with the underworld and how the D-company and its associates are penetrating – unlike movies and real estates – a relatively new area. It recorded on camera top officials of the stock markets and investigating agencies confirming the existence of a trade they cannot comprehend or control.
“We know it exists and is very, very dangerous but then, we cannot do anything unless SEBI asks us. SEBI needs to act… and act fast,” laments V V Rao, executive director of Ahmedabad Stock Exchange. Agrees Arun Kejriwal, one of India’s topmost brokers: “This is an evil operation and unless we check it, it will one day cause serious tensions for the stock market.”
It’s a scam that can put even a million Harshad Mehtas and Ketan Parekhs to shame. Its just the tip of the iceberg though. After all, if this is the case with Gujarat, what is the true picture of the nation?
For further information, please contact:
For further information please contact:
Parul Bhasin/ Namrata Bhalla PR Pundit, New Delhi
Tel: 2656 0415, 2651 3075, 93502 65351,9873313613
What is Dabba Trading?
Dabba is a trade where brokers and speculators illegally bet in stocks in the grip of the Bull Run for quick bucks. A practice mushrooming in several tier II towns like Rajkot, Vadodara, Jaipur, Jalgaon, Ludhiana along with metros like Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. It is a trade where daily transactions touch a whopping Rs 40,000 crores. A trade that is no holds barred and could double if it continues its free run.
The Indian dabba trade is a variation of the American bucket shop operations of the 1920s, which were known to have mafia links. In India, a sizeable number of brokers and sub-agents were found to have links with the underworld.
The last SEBI raid on a major dabba trader was way back in 2003 when it raided Pradeep Kumar Bansal of Mumbai and Sunil Kumar Kalyan of Kolkata. Both have been banned from trading in securities.
How does dabba operate? An investor wanting to buy 100 shares of say stock X, will have a one-share transaction on the official bourse while the remaining 99 will be written in the cash sauda (transaction) book.
The multiple stock exchange memberships allow dabba operators to log that single trade on the official exchange creating an appearance of authenticity.
But will these illegal trades continue to flourish? And as long as there is large amounts of black money sloshing around in the economy and the political class encourages large scale loot of the system, there will always be a dabba market in some corner of the country, with operators finding ingenious ways to camouflage their activities
Parul Bhasin
PR PUNDIT
P 2 Haus Khas, New Delhi 110 016
Tel: +91 11-26560415, 26513075; Fax: +91 11-26961835
Mobile: +91 9350265351
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
