Provisional attachment under PMLA targets realty group's assets after alleged laundering and investor fraud scheme.
Provisional attachment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was invoked to seize licensed and unlicensed land, unsold real estate inventory, residential units and commercial premises across Delhi NCR and Goa as assets linked to an alleged money laundering scheme involving diversion of investor funds and cross border transfers to entities beneficially owned by family members of the group promoter.

Bail and chargesheet cognisance: enforcement agency pauses cancellation, hearings scheduled, and procedural directions ordered on multiple criminal matters.
Enforcement authorities said they are not presently seeking cancellation of trial court granted bail in an excise policy linked money laundering matter, while petitions challenging chargesheet cognisance were listed for further hearing. The court found no prima facie case of disparagement or trademark infringement in an advertising dispute, sought police response on a regular bail application in a communal violence murder, and directed video conferencing arrangements for terrorism related accused to ensure presence before courts.

Money laundering arrest: Former legislator taken into custody under PMLA amid serious alleged real-estate fraud.
Allegations of money laundering and related real-estate fraud prompted arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after repeated non-compliance with summonses. Authorities allege funds collected from homebuyers were routed through sham purchases and bogus transactions, then used for personal expenses, property purchases and transfers disguised as loans; investigators relied on multiple non-bailable warrants, a proclaimed-offender notification, remand applications, a filed chargesheet against co-accused companies, and attachment of assets to pursue the probe.

Prosecution sanction: petitions challenge trial-court cognisance of chargesheet after sanction was filed for later hearing
Petitions challenge the trial court's cognisance of an Enforcement Directorate chargesheet in a money laundering prosecution linked to the excise policy, alleging the special court took cognisance without the prior sanction required to prosecute public servants; petitioners seek setting aside the cognisance order and quashing of proceedings, while the Enforcement Directorate says the requisite sanction has since been granted and filed.

Bald allegations without evidential support: court criticised prosecutorial assertions in bail hearing and demanded concrete nexus.
The Supreme Court rebuked the Enforcement Directorate for making bald allegations without evidential support in a bail hearing arising from a money-laundering probe connected to an alleged liquor scam, demanding concrete links-such as directorship, shareholding, or managerial control-between the accused and the companies or transactions relied upon, and expressing concern that prolonged investigation and repeated chargesheets risk turning process into punishment.

Money laundering arrest under PMLA executed after non-bailable warrants and proclaimed offender notification were acted upon.
Enforcement Directorate officers arrested a former legislator declared absconding under the PMLA after locating him at a hotel and executing seven non-bailable warrants and a proclaimed offender notification; he was taken into agency custody for production before the issuing court. The action relates to allegations stemming from a predicate FIR alleging forged documents, fake bank guarantees, collection of funds from homebuyers, failure to deliver promised housing, diversion of funds for personal use, and prior chargesheeting of associated individuals and companies in a money-laundering investigation.

Money laundering probe leads to arrest of absconding ex-MLA in alleged large-scale homebuyer fraud case.
Enforcement action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act resulted in the arrest of an absconding former MLA in a Gurugram Police FIR alleging cheating of more than fifteen hundred homebuyers and siphoning of substantial funds by Sai Aaina Farms and associated companies; a special PMLA court had issued multiple non-bailable warrants and the agency had issued a proclamation directing the accused to appear.

Enforcement Directorate powers under PMLA face reconsideration over ECIR disclosure and presumption of innocence concerns.
A reconstituted three-judge bench will hear review petitions challenging the 2022 ruling that upheld the Enforcement Directorate powers under the PMLA to arrest, attach property, and conduct search and seizure, with specific issues concentrated on non-provision of the ECIR, the court's approach to the presumption of innocence, and the reasonableness of the statute's cognisable non-bailable classification and twin-condition bail regime.

Prior sanction requirement challenged as charge sheet cognisance was taken without it in alleged money laundering excise policy case.
The petitions challenge the trial court's cognisance of an Enforcement Directorate charge sheet in a money laundering matter on the ground that cognisance was taken despite absence of prior sanction for prosecution for alleged official acts by public servants, and seek setting aside the cognisance order and quashing of related proceedings.

PMLA enforcement surge prompts debate over targeting of opposition; alleged misuse of probe process as punishment.
Allegations assert politically selective use of the PMLA, claiming most cases target opposition figures, that prosecutions are used as punitive leverage due to low trial progression and an asserted low conviction rate; the agency counters with data of increased post-2014 enforcement, a substantial caseload under trial, a high conviction rate for concluded matters, and attributes slow adjudication to judicial delay and investigatory complexity.

Money laundering prosecution delays linked to predicate offence trials and complex forensic requirements slow court disposal.
Delays in money laundering trials are primarily attributable to the procedural linkage with the predicate offence and the investigative complexity under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Intensive forensic analysis of voluminous and cross border financial data, extensive documentation and interruptions from interlocutory applications, writs and bail matters impede continuity. Although specialised PMLA courts exist, judicial resource constraints and the burden of other statutory matters further hinder expeditious completion, prompting the agency to prioritise finalising investigations and filing prosecution complaints and confiscation prayers before those courts.

Coram non judice challenge and time limit disputes delaying confirmation of provisional asset attachments under anti money laundering law.
Two procedural issues have produced widespread litigation delaying confirmation of Enforcement Directorate provisional attachments under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act: coram non judice challenges to single member confirmations in the absence of the judicial member of the three member Adjudicating Authority, and disputes over the statutory 180 day limit for confirmation during extraordinary circumstances such as the COVID 19 pandemic. These challenges have led to multiple stay orders that account for a substantial portion of the gap between assets provisionally attached and those confirmed by the Authority.

Right to be heard: notices issued permitting accused to make submissions on cognisance under the proviso to the criminal procedure code.
A court directed issuance of notices to proposed accused persons so they may exercise the right to be heard on the question of cognisance of a money laundering complaint. It held that allowing submissions at the cognisance stage is consistent with investigative powers and statutory presumptions and relied on the proviso to the cognisance provision in the criminal procedure code, construing its benevolent intent in favour of accused persons to protect against improper implication.

Interim bail permitted to enable post funeral rituals while subject remains under PMLA investigation by enforcement agency.
A court authorized a short, time limited interim custodial release to enable participation in post funeral rituals while the individual remains subject to criminal proceedings. The arrest arose under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after an FIR by the anti corruption bureau concerning alleged corrupt payments in a water supply programme; the Enforcement Directorate subsequently took over the investigation and named multiple suspects, including alleged associates and departmental officers.

Right to be heard affirmed as notices issued in a money laundering probe alleging conspiracy and asset takeover.
Notices were issued to two political figures in a money laundering investigation alleging a criminal conspiracy and fraudulent takeover of company assets; the court emphasised the right to be heard as available at the time of cognisance and adjourned the matter for further consideration while investigators proceed on the basis of a recently filed chargesheet.

Fugitive economic offender designation triggers confiscation proceedings where a promoter absconds and refuses to return for prosecution
The court applied the Fugitive Economic Offender Act to conclude that the promoter absconded to evade prosecution, ignored summons and warrants, and remained abroad despite a lookout circular and Interpol notice; that designation enables statutory confiscation proceedings against assets attached in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act investigation arising from multiple FIRs alleging large scale fraudulent fund raising.

Arrest discretion in money laundering cases: use sparingly, obtain pre arrest statements first and link suspects to proceeds.
Advise restrained use of arrest powers under the PMLA, securing material and pre arrest statements first because early arrests can render section 50 statements vulnerable, invite judicial rejection of grounds of arrest, and risk default bail if chargesheets are delayed. Recommend making hawala operators and angadiyas reporting entities with duties to identify clients and maintain records to aid detection and prevention. Stress that section 70 vicarious liability allegations must be specific and that companies be made accused while linking individuals to proceeds of crime.

Prevention of Money Laundering Act momentum: enforcement intensified, high conviction rate supports agency prosecutions and asset restitution accelerated.
Enforcement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act intensified after 2014 with increased investigations, provisional attachments and prosecutions; priorities include completing probes, filing final prosecution complaints and pursuing confiscation of criminal property, while accelerating non-conviction based confiscation and restitution and applying the Fugitive Economic Offenders framework to secure and restitute assets.

Money laundering prosecutions under PMLA face prolonged trials, systemic delays persist while investigations shift to tech-driven methods.
Over one thousand seven hundred PMLA prosecutions are in trial, with delays attributed to systemic justice-system backlog; the agency acknowledges pending investigations and prioritises filing chargesheets. The agency reports a high conviction rate with few acquittals among decided cases and implements the PMLA, the FEOA, and civil provisions of FEMA. It also intends to expand use of advanced technology and forensics to support investigations and expedite prosecution.

Money laundering under PMLA: challan-manipulation scheme alleged; raids recover cash and freeze bank assets and documents.
Enforcement Directorate action under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA): coordinated searches of liquor contractors' premises led to seizure of cash, freezing of bank deposits and lockers, and collection of incriminating documents and immovable property records. The investigation arises from an FIR alleging forgery, manipulation of treasury challans and unlawful procurement of No Objection Certificates for liquor procurement during 2015-16 to 2017-18, and describes an alleged scheme of altering challengs by filling figures first and later inserting larger amounts in words.