Torres Jewellery money laundering: non-bailable warrants issued against four accused over alleged Rs 177 crore scam.
Allegations concern an alleged money laundering scheme by Platinum Hern Private Limited (Torres Jewellery) involving Rs 177 crore obtained from customers and routed through hawala operators into USDT cryptocurrency. The enforcement agency alleges one accused collected proceeds and absconded, two Ukrainians acted as architects converting unaccounted cash into cryptocurrency and providing illicit capital, and a dominant foreign director exercised control over operations and finances. A special court issued non-bailable warrants against four accused due to alleged evasion and the seriousness of the economic offence to enable effective investigation and trial.

Lack of evidence in coal allocation allegations results in discharge after screening committee recommendation upheld.
The court found no material to substantiate CBI allegations that RKM Powergen, its promoters or public servants secured the Fatehpur East coal block by misrepresentation or forgery; it relied on evidentiary material including a witness ranking that the company met most criteria and held the Screening Committee recommendation was not against public interest, resulting in discharge for lack of evidence to prosecute.

Enforcement Directorate attaches assets over Rs 3,000 crore in alleged money laundering linked to Reliance Group companies.
The Enforcement Directorate has executed an asset attachment exceeding Rs 3,000 crore in a money laundering investigation concerning companies linked to the Reliance Group, applying anti money laundering investigatory powers to immobilise assets alleged to be connected with proceeds of unlawful activity while related probes proceed.

Money laundering attachment under PMLA: provisional orders seize assets linked to alleged diversion of public funds.
Attachment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was effected by provisional orders attaching properties and other assets linked to Anil Ambani, reported at around Rs 3,084 crore, as part of an investigation into alleged diversion and laundering of public funds raised by Reliance Home Finance Ltd. and Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd.; investigative measures include searches, questioning, and provisional attachment to preserve assets pending further probe.

Police sting exposes mule account networks where students and intermediaries move and launder proceeds from online scams.
A coordinated operation targeted cyber fraud networks using mule accounts-rented or compromised bank accounts-through proactive monitoring of unusual transaction patterns, raids, arrests and case registrations. Investigations uncovered organisers managing hundreds of accounts, middlemen collecting cash, and many individual account-holders, notably students, who withdrew or received defrauded funds. Transactional indicators included dormant accounts with sudden large inflows and rapid cheque/ATM withdrawals; proceeds were layered via shell companies, converted to cryptocurrency and transferred abroad.

Provisional attachment of Karti Chidambaram's assets continues despite investigation delays; possession permitted only for exceptional reasons.
Provisional attachment of movable and immovable assets under the Prevention of Money Laundering framework was challenged on grounds that the chargesheet was not filed within the prescribed investigation period; the Tribunal held that interim protective status on attached residential property cannot be continued indefinitely, but physical dispossession is permissible only in exceptional circumstances, and that COVID-19 lockdown delays affect investigative pace.

Plea challenges PMLA arrest and custody as based solely on alleged non-cooperation without prior notice or formal complaint.
The petition contests arrest and detention under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, alleging the investigating agency arrested the accused solely for alleged non-cooperation without issuing notice or summons and without filing a formal complaint, thereby challenging the legal basis for custody and seeking judicial review of procedural compliance and the permissible duration of detention during ongoing financial investigations.

Lawyers cannot be summoned by investigators for client communications without senior police approval and court review.
When an exception is invoked, any summons to an advocate must specify the facts relied upon and be issued only with the written satisfaction and consent of a superior officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police; such summonses are subject to judicial review at the instance of the advocate or the client under the relevant criminal procedure framework.

Advocate-client privilege limits agency summons, restricting questioning of lawyers and protecting client confidentiality during probes.
The Court invalidated ED summons to senior advocates and directed that investigators shall not summon advocates for client details or legal advice except under statutory exceptions, warning such summonses can infringe accused persons' fundamental rights. It ruled that seizure of lawyers' digital devices requires prior presentation to a jurisdictional court and that inspection can occur only in the advocate's presence after objections are resolved, and directed investigatory agencies to comply with internal approval requirements and the exceptions in the Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.

Summoning of lawyers: limits on probing advocates who give legal advice versus those assisting criminal conduct.
The summary explains that advocates who merely render legal opinions or represent clients should not be summoned during investigations, while advocates who actively assist clients in committing crime may be summoned; agencies have issued internal guidance restricting summonses except with senior approval and bar bodies have demanded clear guidelines to protect legal advice while allowing a criminal-assistance exception.

Money laundering under PMLA: chargesheet names foreign nationals for cocaine smuggling and alleged funds routing.
A federal probe agency filed a chargesheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against seven persons, including two foreign nationals, for alleged international cocaine smuggling and laundering. The probe, originating from a local FIR on importation from Laos, identifies travel facilitation, financing of couriers, commission payments, and the use of shell entities and benami accounts to route proceeds; the agency also attached a residential property linked to an alleged courier.

Prevention of Money Laundering Act summons issued to film actors for questioning in probe linked to alleged drug trafficking.
The Enforcement Directorate has issued summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to two film actors to record their statements in a money laundering inquiry that stems from a police FIR relating to alleged cocaine trafficking; this investigatory step complements existing police arrests and conditional bail granted to some individuals.

Money laundering probe prompts arrest over alleged cooperative bank loan fraud involving shell companies and sanctioned loans.
Enforcement Directorate arrested a hotelier in a money laundering probe tied to alleged cooperative bank fraud at the Andaman Nicobar State Cooperative Bank, stemming from an FIR by the Crime and Economic Offences Cell. Authorities allege officials and accomplices used shell companies and sanctioned loans in violation of bank rules to avoid repayment, harm the bank and reap personal gains; investigations and inter jurisdictional ED inquiries continue, with detainees placed in judicial custody.

Quashing of PMLA proceedings refused as court declines inherent-jurisdiction interference and leaves trial proceedings intact.
Petitioners challenged search-and-seizure and attendant proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, arguing absence of a prima facie case because a final report had been filed in relation to the underlying FIR and related corporate repayment directions were being followed; the High Court reviewed whether to invoke its inherent jurisdiction to quash investigative measures and, finding no adequate basis for interference, refused to displace the investigation while noting its observations would not affect trial proceedings.

Illegal political fundraising allegations prompt denials as parties exchange accusations over illicit election funding and demands for proof.
Allegations of illegal political fundraising and diversion of black money for the Bihar Assembly polls are made by opposition leaders, claiming coercion of officials and use of renewals as a cover; ruling ministers deny the charges and demand proof while countering with allegations of prior undisclosed transfers and kickbacks attributed to the opposition, raising issues of evidence sufficiency, campaign finance transparency, and potential misuse of state resources.

Allegations of illicit political fundraising prompt denials and demands for evidentiary proof, amid counterclaims of corruption.
Allegations concern purported PMLA-relevant fundraising and black money flows linked to state ministers allegedly collecting funds for an external assembly election, with claims of pressure on officials and disguising of collections; the ruling party denies the charges, demands evidence, and counters by alleging prior illicit conduct by opposition figures and systemic corruption in electoral financing.

Illegal passport facilitation: man arrested for allegedly producing forged documents enabling 250 Bangladeshi nationals to get Indian passports.
Allegations describe a cross border scheme in which a Pakistani operative referred Bangladeshi clients to an Indian intermediary who prepared forged identity documents and facilitated Indian passport applications in about 250 cases, generating proceeds of crime. The enforcement agency has invoked the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, listed the foreign operative in a chargesheet, arrested the intermediary, and reported rejection of an anticipatory bail application.

Illegal arrest for alleged money laundering overturned due to lack of tangible material and absence of prima facie case.
The High Court held the custodial arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act illegal for want of prima facie material, finding the agency's case speculative and lacking tangible recoveries or project-specific evidence tying the accused to alleged laundering; the court quashed remand orders and underscored that statutory arresting powers require concrete material before arrest and continued custody can be justified.

Money laundering allegation over monetised content using protected wildlife triggers PMLA charges and linked criminal inquiries.
Allegations concern monetisation of videos and a commercial music video depicting protected snakes and an iguana, with the Enforcement Directorate filing a PMLA chargesheet alleging that revenue generated from those productions constituted proceeds of crime acquired and possessed by the accused, following FIRs and a prior police chargesheet and investigative questioning.

Vasai-Virar ex-civic chief arrest declared illegal; court found ED lacked tangible material under PMLA in money laundering probe.
The High Court found that the Enforcement Directorate lacked tangible material at the time of the August 13 arrest to satisfy the reason to believe standard under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, noting the ED's case relied mainly on statements of architects and developers. Consequently, the court set aside the special court's remand orders tied to that arrest and ordered the petitioner's release; a sought stay was declined. The probe arises from allegations of collusion with builders resulting in 41 illegal buildings and a prior corruption complaint.