New Delhi: The Union government has acknowledged the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) dismal conviction rate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with less than 5 per cent of cases resulting in convictions since 2019. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary disclosed these figures in response to unstarred questions raised by Congress Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala.
According to Chaudhary, only 42 out of 911 PMLA cases registered between January 1, 2019, and October 21, 2024, resulted in convictions, reflecting a conviction rate of just 4.6 per cent. Additionally, only 257 cases, or 28 per cent, have reached the trial stage during this period. The majority of cases—654 or 71.7 per cent—remain pending.
This admission lends credence to the Opposition’s long-standing criticism of the ED and the government’s alleged misuse of the PMLA to target political opponents and stifle dissent. Surjewala, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), remarked, “Misuse of #ED & PMLA cases and the massive witch-hunt stands exposed!” He highlighted that during the NDA’s tenure, 911 cases were filed under the PMLA in just five years, compared to 102 cases in the UPA’s decade-long rule. The Congress leader also shared a copy of the government’s written reply, calling the figures a testament to “wholesale misuse of the ED.”
The ED’s track record has drawn criticism from the judiciary as well. In August, the Supreme Court reprimanded the agency for its low conviction rate while hearing a bail plea related to a PMLA case. A three-judge bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyan urged the ED to adopt scientific investigation methods to improve outcomes.
Despite 106 Special Courts functioning under the PMLA, the agency’s performance has been underwhelming. The revelation follows the government’s August statement that out of 5,297 cases registered under the PMLA since its inception, only 40 had resulted in convictions.
The Opposition has renewed its demand for accountability and reform, alleging that the ED’s poor conviction record highlights systemic inefficiencies and political vendettas.