ED Initiated 6,444 Cases Since 2014; Secured Convictions in 53 out of 56 on Merits: Government to Parliament

The article highlights a government response before Parliament stating that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated 6,444 cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) since 2014, and out of 56 cases decided on merits by special courts, 53 resulted in convictions, implying a conviction rate of 94.6%. The data also show a sharp increase over the years in ECIRs filed and search-seizure operations conducted. The article contextualises these statistics to argue that PMLA prosecutions have been effective in securing convictions, presenting them as evidence of enforcement strength against economic and financial crimes. However, the high ratio of investigations to convictions raises questions on prosecution strategy, resource utilisation, and the long-term efficacy of such mass litigation.