PMLA Appellate Tribunal Sets Aside ED Order Retaining Frozen Assets Of Kwality Ex-Director Sidhant Gupta

The PMLA Appellate Tribunal has set aside an order permitting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to retain and continue freezing properties linked to former Kwality Limited director Sidhant Gupta and associated entities in a money laundering case arising from an alleged Rs 1,400.62-crore bank fraud involving the company. The tribunal ruled that such retention cannot be sustained merely because the investigation is ongoing. Member V. Anandarajan held that the Adjudicating Authority (AA) failed...

Supreme Court Refuses Banmeet Singh Bail In Money Laundering Case Linked To Alleged Dark Web Drug Trafficking

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with the Uttarakhand High Court's order denying bail to alleged dark web drug trafficking accused Banmeet Singh in a money laundering case, but allowed him to seek bail again if the trial is delayed for reasons not attributable to him. “We do not find any ground to interfere with the impugned order passed by the High Court. However, liberty is given to the petitioner to renew the prayer for bail in the event that the trial does not proceed and...

Delhi High Court Quashes Summons Against Compact Capital, Kalptaru Fincap In ₹539.37 Crore Sunstar PMLA Case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday set aside a September 25, 2024 cognizance order and consequent summons issued by the Additional Sessions Judge, Tis Hazari Courts, against Compact Capital Limited, Kalptaru Fincap Limited, and Naresh Aggarwal. The case arises from the Directorate of Enforcement's ₹539.37 crore money laundering case linked to Sunstar Overseas Ltd, a rice trading company. The Sessions Court, while taking cognizance under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, had held that...

Supreme Court Refuses To Interfere In Delhi HC Order Quashing NBWs Against Engineer.ai Founder

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with a Delhi High Court ruling quashing non-bailable warrants issued by the Enforcement Directorate against Engineer.ai founder Sachin Dev Duggal in a Videocon-linked money-laundering probe.A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma, after briefly hearing the parties, declined to interfere with the Delhi High Court's order.The Delhi High Court on December 19, 2025 had quashed the warrants, holding that non-bailable warrants...

West Bengal Coal Scam Case: Supreme Court Seeks Anup Majee's Reply In ED Plea Against Anticipatory Bail

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a reply from Anup Majee, an alleged key accused in the West Bengal coal smuggling-linked money laundering case, on a plea filed by the Directorate of Enforcement challenging a Delhi High Court order granting him anticipatory bail. The Delhi High Court had, on June 13, 2025, held that the “twin conditions” under Section 45 of the PMLA were satisfied. It noted that the investigation had continued for nearly five years without any attempt to arrest Majee, despite...

ED Moves Supreme Court Against Refusal To Defer Order On Charge In Jindal Steel-Linked Coal Block Case

The Directorate of Enforcement has moved the Supreme Court against a trial court order refusing to defer the order on charge in a money laundering case linked to allocation of the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block, in which Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. and other accused are facing prosecution.The petition challenges a March 25, 2026 order of the Special Judge (PC Act) (CBI), Coal Block Cases, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi, dismissing the ED's application under Section 346 of the Bharatiya...

Supreme Court Issues Notice On Prayag Group Promoters' Bail Plea In ₹2,862 Crore PMLA Case

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a plea by Prayag Group promoters Basudeb Bagchi and Avik Bagchi challenging a Calcutta High Court order refusing them regular bail in a PMLA case. The Enforcement Directorate alleges the promoters defrauded investors of around Rs. 2,862 crores. A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta noted the ED's appearance on advance notice and dispensed with formal service of notice on the agency. The matter has been listed for hearing on July 14, 2026....

Bombay High Court Grants Relief To Goa Ex-CMs Digambar Kamat, Churchill Alemao In Louis Berger PMLA Case

The Bombay High Court at Goa has recently set aside a Special Court order taking cognizance against former Goa Chief Minister and current PWD Minister Digambar Kamat and Former Chief minister Churchill Alemao in the Louis Berger-linked money laundering case. The court held that prior government sanction to prosecute them, as required under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for public servants, had not been obtained before cognizance was taken. A single-judge bench of Justice...

PMLA Tribunal Sets Aside ₹315 Cr ED Attachment Against Viceroy Hotels, Applies Section 32A IBC Immunity

The Appellate Tribunal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on 23 April allowed an appeal filed by Viceroy Hotels Ltd., setting aside the Enforcement Directorate's attachment of assets worth over Rs. 315 crore in connection with alleged diversion of bank loan funds by Best & Crompton Engineering Projects Ltd. A Bench comprising Members Balesh Kumar and Rajesh Malhotra held that once a resolution plan is approved under Section 32A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC),...

Receipt Of Indian Rupees From NRE Account Not “Foreign Exchange Dealing” Under FERA: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on 30 April held that receipt of Indian currency from a Non-Resident External (NRE) account does not amount to “dealing in foreign exchange” under Section 8(1) or Section 8(2) of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA). A Division Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja set aside a penalty imposed on Prakash Chandra Yadav and allowed his appeal. It observed: “In the present case, the allegation against the appellant is not of dealing in foreign...

Chhattisgarh High Court Upholds ED Attachment Of Properties Linked To Former IAS Officer In Coal Levy Scam

The Chhattisgarh High Court has recently upheld the attachment of properties worth about Rs.5.52 crore linked to former IAS officer Ranu Sahu and her family members in a money laundering case arising out of the alleged coal levy scam, affirming action taken by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED). A Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal dismissed a batch of appeals filed by Sahu and her relatives challenging the October 16, 2025 order of the PMLA...

Supreme Court Issues Notice On Former Excise Commissioner's Plea Seeking Bail In Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam Case

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice in a plea by Niranjan Das, former Excise Commissioner, challenging the denial of bail in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Multi-Crore Chhattisgarh liquor scam. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi listed the matter for hearing on May 18. The case pertains to allegations that illegal liquor operations were carried out through State-run outlets, generating proceeds of crime through a...