Andaman cooperative bank loan irregularities prompt ED probe and arrests; several accused face PMLA scrutiny.
Alleged systemic loan irregularities at the Andaman and Nicobar State Cooperative Bank led to police and Enforcement Directorate investigations alleging fraudulent sanctioning of loans exceeding Rs 500 crore through shell company accounts, with about Rs 230 crore allegedly diverted to the chairman and associates and commissions paid for approving multiple advances in breach of banking norms; several accused face ED PMLA scrutiny while others are under judicial custody or released in the criminal case.

Reliance Power subsidiary fake bank guarantee probe prompts third arrest under PMLA for alleged money laundering.
Enforcement Directorate investigators arrested a third person under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a probe into an alleged Rs 68.2 crore fake bank guarantee submitted by Reliance NU BESS Limited to the Solar Energy Corporation of India, with the agency alleging coordinated roles by a trade financing consultant, a former company CFO and the managing director of Biswal Tradelink in producing and presenting the forged instrument and related deceptive communications.

Money laundering probe targets alleged human trafficking-prostitution network; searches seek to trace illicit proceeds and corporate layering.
The Enforcement Directorate, invoking the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, investigated an alleged organised human trafficking and prostitution network where accused persons purportedly exploited vulnerable women to generate illicit cash proceeds and laundered those proceeds through multiple companies; the inquiry follows multiple FIRs and chargesheets by state police and included simultaneous searches at eight premises to locate and seize assets and trace fund movements.

Money laundering probe under PMLA prompts arrest in alleged illegal sand mining case following multi-location raids and searches.
Investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) led to the arrest of a businessman after searches found sand extracted beyond permitted limits and proceeds diverted into multiple bank accounts, with suspected outward transfers via hawala; coordinated raids targeted business premises, staff residences and transport operators to trace transactions and identify proceeds of crime.

Money-laundering probes prompt fresh investigative summons and asset attachments, signalling intensified enforcement and regulatory scrutiny.
PMLA-related enforcement: fresh investigative summons issued to a corporate chairperson in an alleged bank fraud-linked money laundering inquiry, and attachment of movable assets in an online betting-linked money laundering probe, demonstrating use of summons and asset restraint powers in high profile financial investigations.

Money laundering summons: PMLA questioning ordered for corporate chairman after FIR-linked bank fraud allegations and asset attachments.
ED has issued a fresh summons to the Reliance Group chairman to depose and have his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a probe linked to an FIR based on a bank complaint alleging significant outstanding liabilities and loss. The investigation involves allegations of loan diversion by multiple group companies, an asserted illegal diversion of credit from a private bank to group entities, prior searches and questioning, and provisional attachment of group assets.

Fake degree racket probes prompt ED searches under anti money laundering law at university and college premises.
Enforcement Directorate searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act targeted 16 premises linked to an alleged fake degree racket, including Monad University and Saraswati Medical College, to trace proceeds and instruments of suspected money laundering; the principal accused is in judicial custody and other suspects have been arrested and chargesheeted.

Money laundering under PMLA: coordinated raids probe alleged narco-linked terror funding and cross-border proceeds transmission.
Enforcement action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act targeted premises linked to a former minister in a narcotics-linked money laundering and alleged terror financing investigation. The probe alleges heroin-sale proceeds were deposited in local accounts, transferred through mules abroad, withdrawn in a foreign financial centre and routed to terrorist operatives. Agencies have filed charges and arrested multiple suspects while continuing forensic and financial investigations to identify proceeds of crime and funding channels.

Asset recovery frameworks recognised for strengthening confiscation, provisional attachment and victim restitution under anti-money laundering practice.
The FATF guidance recognises practical measures to identify, trace, freeze, manage, confiscate and return criminally derived assets, drawing on Indian examples that illustrate value-based confiscation, provisional attachment, inter-agency cooperation, and restitution of assets to victims.

Proceeds of crime: profits from bribe-funded share investments remain tainted and subject to attachment under money laundering law.
Profits from investments of bribe money, including market appreciation and corporate actions, constitute proceeds of crime and fall within money laundering offences; appreciation does not cleanse the taint. An allocation letter conferring exclusive commercial benefit is an intangible asset that can be proceeds of crime when obtained by misrepresentation, and provisional attachment of assets derived from such gains is justified pending adjudication.

Media sensationalisation of innocuous judicial remarks warned against; reporting discouraged and attendance securing warrants upheld as appropriate.
The court criticised media practice of extracting innocuous judicial comments and presenting them as directed criticisms, stressing media responsibility to verify context and avoid sensationalisation or defamatory reporting. It declined to mandate deletions or apologies, expecting reputable outlets to self-regulate. Separately, it dismissed a plea to quash a non-bailable warrant issued for alleged evasion, and refused virtual-only participation where physical presence is mandatorily required, noting statutory safeguards remain available upon submission to jurisdiction.

Money laundering via IPO manipulation exposed; probe finds diversion of investor funds, mule accounts, and shell companies used.
An investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act alleges a coordinated money laundering racket that diverted IPO subscription proceeds through circular transactions, artificial share-price inflation, and subsequent heavy offloading. Searches recovered forged KYC, hundreds of mule bank accounts, dual-SIM devices, and evidence of over 150 shell and dummy companies used to layer and route illicit funds, consistent with a pump-and-dump scheme that concealed the origin of funds and duped investors.

Asset attachment under PMLA to secure alleged proceeds of money laundering and enable restitution to affected lenders.
Multiple provisional orders under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act provisionally attach residential, commercial and land assets linked to a corporate group and associated entities to secure alleged proceeds of money laundering. The agency alleges systematic diversion of bank and public funds through evergreening, transfers to connected parties, investments in third party instruments, use of shell companies and international remittances, and states that concurrent foreign exchange inquiries and searches support ongoing tracing and recovery efforts aimed at restoring losses to lenders under statutory procedures.

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.