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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

YouTuber challenges FIR, LoC in HC

Mumbai : The Bombay High Court issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by UK-based medico and YouTuber, Dr. Sangram Patil, seeking to quash a Mumbai Police FIR and revoking a Look Out Circular in a criminal case lodged against him, on Thursday.   Justice Ashwin D. Bhobe, who heard the matter with preliminary submissions from both sides, sought a response from the state government and posted the matter for Feb. 4.   Maharashtra Advocate-General Milind Sathe informed the court...

YouTuber challenges FIR, LoC in HC

Mumbai : The Bombay High Court issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by UK-based medico and YouTuber, Dr. Sangram Patil, seeking to quash a Mumbai Police FIR and revoking a Look Out Circular in a criminal case lodged against him, on Thursday.   Justice Ashwin D. Bhobe, who heard the matter with preliminary submissions from both sides, sought a response from the state government and posted the matter for Feb. 4.   Maharashtra Advocate-General Milind Sathe informed the court that the state would file its reply within a week in the matter.   Indian-origin Dr. Patil, hailing from Jalgaon, is facing a criminal case here for posting allegedly objectionable content involving Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on social media.   After his posts on a FB page, ‘Shehar Vikas Aghadi’, a Mumbai BJP media cell functionary lodged a criminal complaint following which the NM Joshi Marg Police registered a FIR (Dec. 18, 2025) and subsequently issued a LoC against Dr. Patil, restricting his travels.   The complainant Nikhil Bhamre filed the complaint in December 2025, contending that Dr. Patil on Dec. 14 posted offensive content intended to spread ‘disinformation and falsehoods’ about the BJP and its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.   Among others, the police invoked BNSS Sec. 353(2) that attracts a 3-year jail term for publishing or circulating statements or rumours through electronic media with intent to promote enmity or hatred between communities.   Based on the FIR, Dr. Patil was detained and questioned for 15 hours when he arrived with his wife from London at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Jan. 10), and again prevented from returning to Manchester, UK on Jan. 19 in view of the ongoing investigations.   On Wednesday (Jan. 21) Dr. Patil recorded his statement before the Mumbai Police and now he has moved the high court. Besides seeking quashing of the FIR and the LoC, he has sought removal of his name from the database imposing restrictions on his international travels.   Through his Senior Advocate Sudeep Pasbola, the medico has sought interim relief in the form of a stay on further probe by Crime Branch-III and coercive action, restraint on filing any charge-sheet during the pendency of the petition and permission to go back to the UK.   Pasbola submitted to the court that Dr. Patil had voluntarily travelled from the UK to India and was unaware of the FIR when he landed here. Sathe argued that Patil had appeared in connection with other posts and was not fully cooperating with the investigators.

SIFs: A Modern Investment Product

A modern long-short investment product is here - one that blends the trust and discipline of mutual funds with the sophisticated flexibility of hedge-fund-style strategies. SEBI’s newly approved Specialised Investment Funds (SIFs) mark the next evolution in wealth-building vehicles for high-net-worth investors.


For decades, Indian investors had to choose between two ends of the spectrum - mutual funds, which are long-only, and Portfolio Management Schemes (PMS) / Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) structures, which offer wider strategy flexibility but operate in a higher-ticket segment. SIFs now bridge this gap, offering the best of both worlds: institutional-grade long-short investing within a mutual-fund-like regulatory structure. They offer professional investors access to advanced investment strategies within a regulated, transparent structure.


What makes SIFs different?

Unlike traditional funds that profit only when markets rise, SIFs allow fund managers to take both long and short positions - with up to 25% of the portfolio allowed as pure short exposure. This provides the ability to potentially generate returns not only in strong markets, but also during downturns and sideways phases. Where long-only funds may struggle in non-directional markets, SIFs can tactically deploy options, futures, spreads, and sector rotations to seek alpha and manage downside risk.


This makes SIFs uniquely suited for three market regimes:• Strong or trending markets• Sideways or range-bound markets• Volatile periods


Who can launch and who can invest?

Only SEBI-regulated mutual fund houses can launch SIFs - ensuring governance, oversight, and track record. These funds are not for retail investors. They are meant for HNI and sophisticated investors, with a minimum ticket size of ₹10 lakh across SIF strategies (PAN-level).


Portfolio design and risk management

SIFs may invest across equity, debt, and hybrid strategies, including long-short models, hedged books, and tactical derivative positions. To enhance transparency, SIFs must disclose a ‘risk-band’ indicating potential volatility - helping investors understand the strategy’s risk level before committing capital.


What should investors expect?

Performance in SIFs will depend heavily on manager skill, risk discipline, and market structure. In sharp bull markets, they may lag pure equity funds due to hedges. However, in volatile or range-bound conditions, they can potentially deliver superior stability and improved risk-adjusted returns. Basically, their ability to protect downside and capture tactical spreads can provide meaningful stability and alpha.


Think of them as smart shock absorbers - built to accelerate during favourable phases while controlling the skid when markets turn unpredictable.


A new era for Indian portfolios

SIFs represent India’s move toward globally practiced, innovation-driven, risk-aware investing. For investors seeking smarter diversification, volatility management, and tactical alpha, SIFs may become a powerful addition to modern portfolios. The era of next-generation investing in India has officially begun - and SIFs could well become the flagship vehicle for sophisticated wealth creation in the years ahead.


(The author is a Chartered Accountant and CFA (USA). Financial Advisor.  Views personal. He could be reached on 9833133605.)

 

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