ED registers 132 PMLA cases in last 6 years against current and former politicians
New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has registered a total of 5,297 cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) over the past ten years.
A significant surge in cases was observed after the PMLA's scope was expanded through a series of amendments. Out of the total cases, 4,467 were filed between 2019 and 2024, following the Centre's efforts to strengthen the law. Over the past six years, 132 cases have been registered against sitting and former Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), and political leaders.
Rai provided a detailed breakdown of the cases registered each year under the PMLA: 188 cases in 2019, 708 in 2020, 1,166 in 2021, 1,074 in 2022, 934 in 2023, and 397 cases so far in 2024. He also noted earlier figures, stating, "195 cases were registered in 2014, 148 in 2015, 170 in 2016, 171 in 2017, and 146 cases in 2018."
The expansion of the PMLA's ambit through amendments in 2009, 2013, 2015, and 2019 has empowered the ED with enhanced investigative authority. One of the significant amendments in 2009 included adding criminal conspiracy under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code to the PMLA’s schedule, allowing the ED to investigate cases where conspiracy is alleged, even if the principal offence is not directly related to the PMLA schedule.
Further amendments in 2015 and 2018 provided the ED with international jurisdiction for tracking laundered money and the ability to attach properties in India equivalent to those acquired abroad through illegal activities. The 2019 amendments introduced "explanations" that enabled the ED to attach properties earned directly or indirectly through alleged criminal activity, even if they were merely "relatable" to a scheduled offence.
Rai also highlighted that 140 individuals are currently incarcerated under PMLA provisions since 2016. On the same day, Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, shared data in the Rajya Sabha regarding the ED's enforcement case information reports (ECIRs) against current and former MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and political leaders, or those affiliated with any political party, from January 1, 2019, to July 31, 2024.
"The ED filed 15 ECIRs or money laundering cases in 2019, followed by 28 in 2020, 26 in 2021, 34 in 2022, 26 in 2023, and three in 2024 (until July 31)," Chaudhary stated. He added that court trials were completed in only three of these cases—one in 2020 and two in 2023, with a single conviction reported in 2020.
Chaudhary further mentioned that the ED has filed a total of 7,083 ECIRs up to July 31, 2024. "The rate of conviction obtained under PMLA is around 93%. Assets worth more than ₹1.39 lakh crore were either seized, frozen, or attached under the law. The total value of proceeds seized under PMLA is approximately ₹3,725.76 crore, frozen at ₹4,651.68 crore, and attached assets valued at approximately ₹1,31,375 crore," he stated.
