The Union Government has revealed in Parliament that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has secured a conviction rate of only 6.42% in money laundering cases over the past five years. According to the Ministry of Finance, between January 1, 2019, and October 31, 2024, the ED filed 911 prosecution complaints under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Out of these, trials were completed in 654 cases, and convictions were secured in just 42 cases.
In response to a query by Congress Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary provided detailed statistics. “Out of the 911 Prosecution Complaints which have been filed, as on date, the trial is pending in 257 cases. Conviction has been secured in 42 cases for the offence of money-laundering wherein 99 accused have been sentenced, and proceeds of crime have been confiscated,” the Minister informed the House.
The ED’s poor conviction rate has drawn attention in recent times, especially after the Supreme Court expressed concern over the agency’s performance in money laundering cases. The Court, during a hearing related to the bail petition of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, raised issues with the ED’s conviction rates and urged the agency to adopt more effective and scientific investigation methods to improve results. A bench led by Justice Surya Kant had specifically noted that the ED should focus on strengthening the quality of prosecutions to increase conviction rates.
The government's response also shed light on the volume of prosecution filings by the ED, with 239 cases being filed in 2023 alone and 206 cases in 2024. However, the number of cases filed in earlier years was much lower, with only 50 prosecution complaints filed in 2019. This marks a sharp increase in ED filings under the current NDA government compared to the previous UPA government, where only 102 cases were filed in its 10-year tenure.
In response to the government’s disclosure, Congress MP Randeep Surjewala criticised the ED's handling of PMLA cases, accusing the government of misusing the law for political purposes. He posted on X, “Misuse of #ED & PMLA cases and the massive witch-hunt stands Exposed!” He also pointed out the stark difference in the number of cases filed under the NDA government as compared to the UPA, stating, “In the last 5 years under the NDA government, 911 cases were filed, while in the entire 10 years of the UPA government, only 102 cases were filed. This shows a wholesome misuse of ED!”
The Court had earlier emphasised that a more scientific and methodical approach is essential to achieving higher conviction rates in PMLA cases.
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