Zee Entertainment shares end lower

New Delhi: Shares of Zee Entertainment Enterprises ended nearly 1 per cent lower on Tuesday after Sebi banned Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra and ZEEL's Punit Goenka from holding any directorial or key managerial position in any listed firm.

During the day, the stock tumbled 6.28 per cent to Rs 182.60 apiece on the BSE after a weak beginning. Shares of the company, however, trimmed most of their early losses and ended at Rs 194, lower by 0.44 per cent.

On the NSE, it tanked 6.59 per cent to Rs 182 in intra-day trade. The stock finally ended at Rs 193.35, down 0.76 per cent.

In traded volume terms, 22.03 lakh shares of the company were traded at the BSE and over 4.70 crore shares at the NSE during the day. In the broader equity market, the 30-share BSE benchmark ended with a gain of 418.45 points or 0.67 per cent at 63,143.16.

In an interim order on Monday, Sebi barred Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra and ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka from holding the position of a director or key managerial personnel (KMP) in any listed company for siphoning off funds of the media firm.

The case pertains to Chandra, who was also the chairman of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) during the alleged violation, and Goenka having abused their position as directors or KMPs of a listed company for siphoning off funds for their own benefit.

In its interim order, Sebi noted that Chandra and Goenka alienated the assets of ZEEL and other listed companies of Essel Group for the benefit of associate entities, which are owned and controlled by them.

Sebi noted that the share price of ZEEL has come down from a high of close to Rs 600 per share to the current price of less than Rs 200 per share during the period FY 2018-19 to FY 2022-23. This erosion of wealth despite the company being so profitable and generating profit after tax consistently would lead to a conclusion that "all was not well with the company".