In a growing concern for market regulators, certain traders are reportedly engaging in a controversial intraday strategy—buying stocks to push up prices, simultaneously taking bearish bets in the options market, and then offloading their holdings for profit. This cycle, executed within the same trading day, allows them to influence stock prices while positioning to benefit from a reversal. Market experts warn this practice could amount to manipulation if done with intent to mislead, especially in low-volume stocks or during volatile sessions. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is said to be monitoring such trades closely, looking for patterns of pump-and-dump behavior masked by complex derivative moves.