- ED filed 5,892 cases under PMLA between January 1 and June 30
- 15 people were convicted in eight cases, as stated by Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary
- ED filed closure reports in 49 cases, indicating no evidence or further investigation needed
Only eight or 0.1 per cent of 5,892 cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the anti-money laundering law between January 1 and June 30 have led to convictions, the government told the parliament.
The data has raised questions about the outcome and efficiency of investigations done under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Fifteen people were convicted in the eight cases, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in a written reply to Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale.
The ED filed prosecution complaints in 1,398 cases, or 23 per cent of all the cases filed. This figure comprises 353 supplementary prosecution complaints.
Special courts under the PMLA have framed charges in 300 complaints. This included 66 supplementary complaints.
In 49 cases, or 0.8 per cent, the ED filed closure reports, meaning there was no evidence or reason to investigate more.
In recent years, the ED has been increasingly using the PMLA to investigate cases against leaders from Opposition parties like the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Trinamool Congress, and others.
Many of these leaders had been arrested, questioned, and their assets attached over alleged financial irregularities.
They have accused the central government of misusing the ED and PMLA provisions for political vendetta, pointing to the low conviction rate under the law as evidence of selective and unsubstantiated targeting.
