More than 5,800 ED cases since 2015, just 15 convictions: Govt data triggers political row

New Delhi: The Central government recently told the Parliament that there is a huge pendency in prosecution, with thousands of ED cases pending trial even after investigation spanning years.

In reply to an unstarred question submitted by Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Saket Gokhale on Wednesday, the Ministry of Finance discloses that as per the government data, from January 1, 2015, to June 30, 2025, the ED has opened a total of 5,892 cases for investigation under the PMLA. Still, only 1,398 Prosecution Complaints (PCs), including 353 Supplementary PCs, have been filed before designated PMLA Special Courts nationwide.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary presented an extensive overview of the Directorate of Enforcement’s functioning under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in the last ten years.

Most importantly, the government’s response emphasised that charges have only been drawn up in 300 of them, a number which comprises 66 additional prosecution complaints. Notwithstanding the high number of cases, as few as 15 people have been convicted under the PMLA in eight different court orders in the past ten years.

Gokhale’s second question asked for clarity regarding the total number of cases which had been withdrawn or in which prosecution was formally closed. In reply, the Ministry reported that closure reports have been submitted in a mere 49 cases between January 2015 and June 2025, after filing before the respective PMLA Special Courts.

Although the government did not release a break-up of pending cases by state or by category of the accused, the overall numbers have prompted new political interest in the ED’s operations.

The Central agency has long been charged by critics with selectively investigating Opposition leaders, activists, and businesspeople seen as being critical of the ruling establishment.

Outside Parliament, Gokhale stated, “The figures speak for themselves. For every conviction, there are hundreds of cases where trials haven’t even started. The ED is being used as a weapon of political vendetta, not justice. This humongous pendency indicates the agency’s weaponisation, not efficiency.

The information gains relevance in the context of the wider political argument over the misuse of central probe agencies such as the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), particularly in the pre-election and post-election periods.

Although the Finance Ministry has asserted that the ED adheres to due process and is subject to stringent judicial oversight, Opposition parties have continued to charge that the slow rate of investigations, selective leaks, and failure to achieve convictions cast substantial doubts upon due process and human rights.

With more than 5,800 cases being accepted and fewer than 10 convictions in a decade, the statistics put out in Parliament will certainly find their way into the country’s debate on transparency, accountability, and reform in India’s financial investigation machinery.