Tag: PMLA

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora Challenges ED Arrest in HC

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, contesting his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), deeming it “illegal and unconstitutional.” This plea was presented to a bench consisting of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry, which heard arguments from Arora’s attorney, Puneet Bali, before adjourning the matter to May 14. The ED arrested Arora on May 9 as part of an investigation into an alleged ₹100-crore GST fraud money laundering case linked to him. At 62 years old, Arora was detained under PMLA…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Scams in banking, real estate, and corporations fall in India: ED

File Photo NEW DELHI: ED Director Rahul Navin stated on Friday that financial crimes such as bank fraud, corporate scams, and real estate cheating have significantly decreased, thanks to the “sustained” efforts of investigative agencies along with key government initiatives. During the 70th ‘ED Day’ event, Navin indicated that the current crime landscape primarily consists of cryptocurrency fraud, cyber-enabled financial crimes, terrorism financing, anti-national activities, and narcotics trafficking. He emphasized that these areas have become the agency’s “priority” focus. Navin mentioned that the ED filed a higher number of charge sheets in the last financial year (2025-26) and intensified investigations…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

ED Raids Kolkata’s Merlin Group in PMLA Case

KOLKATA: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated fresh searches on Friday as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation into Merlin Group, a Kolkata-based real estate company, and related entities, according to officials. This recent action follows previous raids conducted by the agency on April 8 targeting Merlin Projects Limited and its promoters, Sushil Mohta and Saket Mohta. Officials indicated that 4-5 locations in Kolkata and the North 24 Parganas district are being searched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of the investigation. The Merlin Group has stated that it is cooperating with the ED and maintains…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

ED Seizes ₹6 Crore in Homebuyers’ Fraud Case Against Earth Infrastructures

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has confiscated ₹6.3 crore in cash and jewellery valued at ₹7.5 crore during investigations into a Delhi-based real estate company accused of defrauding homebuyers, which is currently facing insolvency proceedings, as reported on Saturday. The operation, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), began on Friday, targeting 10 locations associated with former directors, promoters, and related entities of Earth Infrastructures Ltd. (EIL) in Delhi and Gurugram. The company has been undergoing a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) since June 2018, according to official records. The ED’s investigation was prompted by five FIRs…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

ED Seizes ₹270 Crore in Assets from Ex-Lodha Director Rajendra

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced on Monday the attachment of land parcels and other immovable assets exceeding Rs 270 crore as part of its money laundering probe against Rajendra Lodha, former director of Lodha Developers, a realty firm based in Maharashtra. A provisional order was issued on March 26 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which values the properties at Rs 271.48 crore, according to the ED’s statement. The attached assets include lands situated in the Panvel and Shahapur talukas of Maharashtra. Lodha was arrested by the ED in February and is currently in judicial custody.…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Bombay HC: Banks Can’t Claim Priority on PMLA-Attached Properties

NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has delivered a landmark ruling affecting financial institutions and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court determined that banks’ recovery laws cannot supersede the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), highlighting the government’s priority action against ‘proceeds of crime’. A division bench consisting of Justices Mukulika Jawalkar and Nandesh Deshpande annulled an order from the appellate tribunal that permitted banks, including HDFC Bank and Punjab National Bank, to enforce secured interests over properties seized by the ED in a money laundering case involving alleged misconduct in coal block allocation. The court declared…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

ED Seizes ₹14 Crore in Sai Surya Developers Fraud Case

HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Hyderabad has provisionally attached assets worth ₹14 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This action is part of an investigation into Sai Surya Developers and others, who are accused of defrauding numerous depositors by falsely claiming to sell plots in various real estate projects. The assets seized include land owned by Sai Surya Developers. The ED commenced its investigation based on multiple FIRs filed by the Telangana police against Sathish Chandra Gupta, the proprietor of Sai Surya Developers, among others. According to the police’s chargesheet, Gupta allegedly received payments from several victims…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Ex-Lodha Developer Director in ED Custody Until Feb 20

MUMBAI: On Friday, a special PMLA court in Mumbai remanded Rajendra Lodha, a former director of Lodha Developers Ltd, into Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody until February 20, in connection with a money laundering case involving ₹85 crore. The ED’s case is founded on allegations of cheating and forgery, as detailed in a FIR filed by the Mumbai police’s crime branch under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Rajendra Lodha was arrested by the crime branch in September of last year and has since been held in judicial custody. The ED officially took him into custody on Thursday for the money laundering…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Hyderabad: ED Files Supplementary Complaint in Sahiti Case

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted a supplementary prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against key figures involved in the Sahiti Infratec Ventures India Pvt Ltd (SIVIPL) fraud case. This complaint has been presented to the MSJ Court in Nampally, which acknowledged it on Monday. According to the ED, the complaint targets B Lakshminarayana, a former director, and S Purnachandra Rao, the marketing head of SIVIPL. Following an FIR filed by the Telangana police, the ED initiated a money-laundering investigation. The FIR claimed that SIVIPL and its promoters promoted a ‘pre-launch…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

ED Arrests MD of Jayathri Infrastructures in Fraud Case

HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has apprehended Kakarla Srinivas, Managing Director of Jayathri Infrastructures India Pvt Ltd in Hyderabad. He is a key suspect in a multi-crore real estate pre-launch scam that reportedly defrauded numerous homebuyers. Srinivas, who had been evading arrest for several months, was captured by the ED’s Hyderabad unit in Chennai on Thursday evening. He was presented before the special PMLA court in Rangareddy on Friday and was remanded in judicial custody until December 31. The case revolves around alleged money laundering associated with extensive cheating of homebuyers and investors. The ED initiated an investigation under the…