Sahara Refund Saga: Rs 8,783 Crore Disbursed to 40 Lakh Depositors - What’s Next?

The Indian government has disbursed Rs 8,783 crore to over 40 lakh depositors of Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies. This refund stems from applications on the CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal, adhering to Supreme Court mandates. The refund process emphasizes transparency and requires claim verification through Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts.

On Tuesday, Cooperation Minister Amit Shah announced to Parliament that over Rs 8,800 crore has been released to more than 40 lakh depositors linked with Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies as of last month.

Minister Shah, in his written Lok Sabha reply, highlighted that by February 2026, a staggering 1.45 crore applications and 4.06 crore claims were processed via the CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal.

This significant refund effort, facilitated in alignment with Supreme Court directives, ensures payments are securely transferred to investors' Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. The court has further mandated Rs 5,000 crore be moved from the 'Sahara-SEBI Refund Account' to ensure continued disbursements till December 2026.

(With inputs from agencies.)