Prevention of Money Laundering Act

2Jul

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Politics

ED takes action against a coal mafia in Ranchi

The logo of the Enforcement Directorate. File The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Ranchi has provisionally attached 62 immovable properties of Mohammad Ezhar Ansari worth ₹9.67 crore in the case registered against him and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).ED initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Jharkhand Police under various sections of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 and Coal Mines Act, 2017 against Mr. Ansari, his truck Driver Sayyaid Salmani and others.A chargesheet was filed and police seized 19.56 MT of illegally transported coal and the truck carrying it.ED’s official statement said its investigation revealed that Mr. Ansari had misused the coal linkages policy under which subsidised coal was allotted to Small & Me...

1Jul

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Opinion

Weaponising PMLA: The Hindu Editorial on the Hemant Soren case

The grant of bail to former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren exposes the questionable practice of the Enforcement Directorate in slapping money-laundering cases just to arrest political adversaries of the ruling dispensation. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) forces courts to render a preliminary finding on whether there is reason to believe that those jailed for laundering money are guilty of the offence and grant bail only if they record a negative finding. Weaponising such provisions against political opponents can have grave consequences for their personal liberty. In Mr. Soren’s case, he spent five months in prison and had to resign as Chief Minister when his arrest was imminent. It is equally true that when bail is granted, it cau...

27Jun

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Politics

ED attaches fresh assets in PMLA case against Uttar Pradesh-based bike taxi aggregator

Representational image only. | Photo Credit: Photo Credit: X/@dir_ed The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 27 said it has attached fresh assets worth more than ₹5 crore as part of a money-laundering investigation against an Uttar Pradesh-based bike taxi aggregator and its promoters.“A provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been issued against the company, Hello Ride Limited, its directors, presidents, agents and others,” the ED said in a statement.“The attached properties, which include agricultural land and plots, are located in Prayagraj, Kanpur and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. The total value of these properties is ₹5.35 crore,” it said.The ED had earlier frozen properties worth ₹2.38 crore in this case and the total attachment now stands at ₹7.73 ...

14Jun

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Sports

ED conducts raids at 19 locations in Mumbai, Pune for illegal betting on IPL and Lok Sabha polls

Representational image of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) logo | Photo Credit: PTI The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mumbai Zonal Office, has conducted search operations on June 12, 2024, under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, at 19 locations in Mumbai and Pune. The search operations were conducted as part of the ongoing probe in the case of “Fairplay” (thefairplay.io) which was involved in illegal broadcasting of cricket matches, particularly IPL, and various online betting activities including results of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, an ED official in a statement said.During the course of search operations, movable assets in the form of cash, bank funds, demat account holdings and luxury watches to the tune of approximately ₹8 crore were seized and frozen along with vari...

12Jun

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Opinion

Arrest, agencies, and criminal courts

“Unless grounds of arrest are informed in writing, arrest and subsequent remand would become invalid in the eyes of law”. Photo for representation. | Photo Credit: The Hindu The Supreme Court did not mince words in May 2024, while delivering two significant judgments that impact the liberty of people accused of criminal offences. The first judgment says that the custody of an accused is not necessary prior to the filing of the charge sheet in certain criminal cases. If the lower courts strictly comply with the directives in this judgment, it would bring relief to investigating agencies.The second judgment relates to informing an accused of the grounds of arrest in writing. This is a fundamental right under Article 22 of the Constitution. While this judgment was delivered in the context...