Existence Of "Proceeds Of Crime" Is Pre-Condition For Money-Laundering: J&K High Court Quashes PMLA Complaints In Alleged ₹250 Cr Scam

Underscoring the necessity of the existence of "proceeds of crime" for constituting an offence under the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has reiterated that in the absence of such proceeds, no money-laundering offence could arise.Quashing complaints filed under the PMLA in an alleged 250 crore scam Justice Javed Iqbal...

'Contrary To Statute' : Supreme Court Pulls Up ED For Arguing That Stringent PMLA Bail Rigours Will Apply To Women

The Supreme Court on Thursday (December 19) pulled up the counsel representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for contending that rigorous bail conditions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) will apply to women.A bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih was hearing a petition challenging the denial of bail to woman accused of money...

Summons Under PMLA Can't Be Quashed Merely Because Accused Was Discharged In Predicate Offence : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court yesterday (December 19) set aside an order of the Gauhati High Court which quashed summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, (PMLA) to investigate proceeds of crime involved money laundering on grounds that the Respondent was discharged in scheduled offence (offences related to property in this case). A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Aravind Kumar...

Offence Under PMLA Is Standalone, Can't Have Joint Trial With Predicate Offence Even If Both Are Before Same Court: Madras HC

The Madras High Court has clarified that the trial under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is distinct and different from the trial of the predicate offence and thus the accused cannot seek for a simultaneous or joint trial even if both are pending before the same court. A division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice M Jothiraman noted that since the...

PMLA Case | Allahabad HC Denies Bail To Man Accused Of Duping People By Impersonating Person Close To PM Modi

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday denied bail to one Mohammad Kashif, booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, on the allegations that he duped people financially by flaunting on social media morphed images with ministers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Denying him the relief, a bench of Justice Samit Gopal noted that the alleged recovery of huge amount of...

PMLA Does Not Intend To Attach Or Confiscate All Properties Of A Person Connected With Crime: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has observed that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA) does not intend to attach or confiscate all properties of a person connected with crime, especially those properties that were acquired before even the commission of the crime.A senior citizen and his wife have approached the Court seeking to quash an order of provisional attachment issued under the...

Reining in Excess: Punjab & Haryana High Court's Judgments Curtailing ED's Arbitrary Powers

The arrest and detention under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act often turn out to be a punishment due to the wide powers given to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and its stringent bail provisions. The Supreme Court, in August, pointed out that after the amendment, over the past ten years, around 5,000 cases have been registered under the PMLA, but conviction has been obtained in only 40 cases.In the evolving jurisprudence of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Punjab and...

ED Can Instruct Prosecutors On Facts, But Cannot Instruct How Prosecutors Should Act In Court: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (December 11) held that while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and its director can give instructions related to facts of a case to prosecutors, they cannot dictate the prosecutors' actions in court.“We may also note here that the Enforcement Directorate and its Director can give instructions to public prosecutors on facts of the case. However, the...

[PMLA] Liberty Is Intrinsic To Rule Of Law, Court Cannot Be Restrained From Granting Bail On Account Of Restrictive Statute: Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court has granted bail to a man being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate under the PMLA for allegedly running a fake call centre and promising services to victims in exchange for money, which were never delivered. The alleged victims were from countries such as the US, UK, Germany, Australia, etc.Justice Suvra Ghosh held: The charge sheet of the scheduled offence...

Supreme Court Flags “Disturbing Features” In ED's Arrest Of Ex-IAS Officer In Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam

The Supreme Court on Friday (December 6) highlighted “disturbing features” of the arrest of former IAS officer Anil Tuteja by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case connection with the Chhattisgarh liquor scam andA bench comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih noted that Tuteja was taken by ED from the ACB office, interrogated throughput...

Collecting Funds In Illegal Way To Commit Scheduled Offence In Future Is Not 'Money Laundering' Under PMLA: Delhi High Court

Court clarified that the offence of money laundering is made out when the 'proceeds of crime' are generated from criminal activity.

Supreme Court Judgment In 'Arvind Kejriwal' Requiring ED To Supply 'Reasons To Believe' To Arrestee Cannot Apply Retrospectively: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has held that the condition of supplying the “reasons to believe” by ED to a person arrested under PMLA as a separate document as per Supreme Court's ruling in Arvind Kejriwal case ought to be applied prospectively. Justice Anish Dayal said that the ED could not be expected to comply with the additional condition, if the arrest was made in the pre-Arvind Kejriwal...