PMLA Tribunal Upholds Freezing of Ex-HUF India MD's Assets, Says Money Trail Establishes Alleged Fraud

The Appellate Tribunal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on 7 May upheld the freezing of bank accounts and other movable assets of former HUF India Pvt. Ltd. Managing Director Sunil Kumar Garg and associated entities, holding that the money trail traced by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sufficiently established allegations of siphoning and routing of funds in an alleged Rs. 139 crore fraud involving the company. A Bench of Chairman Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari dismissed a...

Supreme Court Sets Aside HC Order Allowing Winzo Affiliate To Use Frozen Funds For Salaries

The Supreme Court has recently set aside a Karnataka High Court order permitting Winzo affiliate Zo Private Limited to withdraw money from frozen bank accounts for payment of employee salaries. The court held that once the company had been relegated to its statutory remedy before the Adjudicating Authority, the High Court ought not to have exercised discretion permitting withdrawal of funds. A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh observed the High Court could not...

Kerala HC Upholds ED Summons In Probe Linked To Payments To Ex-Kerala Chief Minister's Daughter's Company

The Kerala High Court has declined to interfere with summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate to officials of Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited in a money laundering investigation linked to payments allegedly made to Veena Vijayan, daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and her company, Exalogic Solutions Pvt Ltd. Justice T.R. Ravi dismissed a petition filed by Cochin Minerals and its officers challenging an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered by the...

PMLA Appellate Tribunal Upholds Attachment Of Rashmi Prasad's Properties In ₹564 Crore Ritz Consultancy Case

Observing that Rashmi Prasad failed to prove that the ₹18.81 crore she received from Amber Dalal and Ritz Consultancy Services were returns on genuine investments, the PMLA Appellate Tribunal upheld the attachment of her properties in the alleged ₹564.33 crore Ritz Consultancy investor fraud case. The matter was heard by Chairman Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari, who said Rashmi's reliance on bank statements and other documents was insufficient to establish that she was a genuine investor,...

PMLA Appellate Tribunal Unfreezes Accounts Frozen Over Illegal Streaming of ICC T20 Matches By Magicwin

The PMLA Appellate Tribunal has set aside the continued freezing of three bank accounts in a money laundering case arising from allegations of illegal streaming of some ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 matches on the Magicwin website. The tribunal, presided over by Member V. Anandarajan, held that the continued freezing could not be sustained merely because the investigation was ongoing. “Other than a bland statement that there is a prima facie involvement of the respondent in alleged proceeds of...

Calcutta High Court Quashes PMLA Case Against Louis Dreyfus India In ₹234 Crore Bank Fraud Case

The Calcutta High Court on Friday (May 22) quashed money laundering proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Louis Dreyfus Company India Private Limited, the Indian subsidiary of Dutch-French commodities giant Louis Dreyfus Company. The case arose out of an alleged bank fraud of about ₹234.57 crore investigated by the CBI. The ED had alleged that the company was involved in circular trading transactions linked to three Letters of Credit (LCs) and had unlawfully received...

ECIR Cannot Be Quashed At Threshold As It Is An Internal ED Document: Patna High Court

The Patna High Court on 18 May held that an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) is an internal document of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and cannot ordinarily be subjected to quashing, observing that such a plea is premature unless it translates into a prosecution complaint or other actionable proceedings. Justice Arun Kumar Jha dismissed a writ petition filed by Rishu Shree seeking to quash ECIR-13 and ECIR-14 and restrain the...

Delhi High Court Directs ED To Release ₹1.54 Crore To Satyam Caterers Despite Pending PMLA Appeal

The Delhi High Court has directed the Directorate of Enforcement to release over ₹1.54 crore to Satyam Caterers Pvt Ltd, subject to a bank guarantee of an equivalent amount, in a money laundering case. The court held that the excess recovery could not be withheld solely because ED's separate appeal against the reduced quantification of proceeds of crime is pending. A division bench of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Ravinder Dudeja set aside an order of the Appellate Tribunal under SAFEMA,...

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...