The DCA has also filed police complaints against four companies and its directors to trace their whereabouts, an official release said today. This is from the list of 80 "vanished" companies forwarded by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to DCA.

The release said 13 of the 80 companies have been regular in filing annual returns with the registrar of companies. Information about three companies was still being awaited. After a long delay, the Securities and Exchange Board of India had last month debarred 70 directors of `vanishing' companies from associating with the capital market for a period of 5 years.

The market regulator had earlier issued show-cause notices to promoters/directors associated with such companies. "Those directors who failed to respond were deemed to have no explanation to offer andaccordingly Sebi today issued an order debarring 70 directors from associating with the capital market for a period of 5 years," Sebi had said. Some of the show-cause notices were returned undelivered and some directors responded.

It also named 80 companies which vanished after raising money from the public. After intense investigations, SEBI and stock exchanges had found that these companies have no registered office and projects.

SEBI had set up task forces to initiate action against 80 vanished companies identified by it. Seven regional task forces comprising officials of DCA, Sebi and the regional Registrars of Companies and stock exchanges have been constituted to initiate action against such companies under various laws.