SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch have dismissed claims related to conflict of interest, ICICI Bank stock options, rental income, and consulting assignments among other charges levelled by the Congress Party in the recent past. "It is unfortunate that questions have been raised regarding the consulting assignments of Dhaval Buch. There seems to be an assumption that when a spouse of a senior government official is appointed as an advisor, it must be attributed to factors beyond professional merit," Buch said in a recent statement. The 6-page rebuttal addresses each charge with detailed facts, refuting what they called "false and malicious" accusations based on their illegally obtained income tax returns, while emphasizing that all of Dhaval’s work was based on his extensive qualifications and 35 years of experience.