ED Registers 5,297 Money Laundering Cases in a Decade, But Only 43 Trials Completed

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered 5,297 cases related to money laundering across India over the past decade, but only 43 of these cases have reached trial completion, according to a report presented by the central agency to Parliament.

Among the 43 cases that concluded trials under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), convictions were secured in 40 instances, while three resulted in acquittals, leading to a conviction rate of 93%. During the same timeframe, the ED also filed 8,719 cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), an anti-terrorism law.

Of the UAPA cases, trials were concluded in 789 instances, with 222 resulting in convictions and 567 in acquittals, translating to a conviction rate of 28.13%.

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The highest number of PMLA cases were recorded in 2021 and 2022, with 1,166 and 1,074 cases, respectively. The data also revealed that in 2014, there were 195 cases registered, followed by 148 in 2015 and 170 in 2016. The figures slightly increased to 171 in 2017. In 2020, during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a notable surge to 708 cases, up from 188 in 2019. The peak year was 2021, with 1,166 cases.

More than half of the cases registered in the last decade occurred between 2021 and 2023. By 2024, amid the ongoing general elections, 397 cases had been registered, with one acquittal and nine convictions.

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Delhi recorded the highest number of arrests under the PMLA since 2016, with a total of 90 arrests, including 36 in 2024 alone. Among those arrested is Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Maharashtra followed with 43 arrests, West Bengal with 42, and Rajasthan with 24.

Several states and union territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry, have not seen any arrests under the PMLA.

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