SEBI has barred US-based Jane Street Group from participating in the Indian stock market and ordered it to disgorge unlawful gains of ₹4,843 crore for allegedly manipulating stock indices through derivative positions.

The lawsuit alleged that the traders had stolen a “ highly valuable, unique, and proprietary ” trading strategy, which was quickly revealed to revolve around India’s booming options market. Jane Street and Millennium settled the lawsuit in December, but judging from SEBI’s report it has cast a long (and expensive) shadow.

At the heart of the controversy is Jane Street’s aggressive trading in the derivatives (futures) segment, where the firm executed trades designed not just to profit, but to sway the market itself. Here's how.