ED Moves Supreme Court Against Madras HC Order Restraining Probe Under PMLA Into Alleged Illegal Sand Mining

The Supreme Court is set to hear the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea against a Madras High Court judgment that restrained the agency from investigating illegal sand mining under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The High Court had ruled that the ED could not probe the matter as it did not fall under the purview of the PMLA. The ED argues that illegal sand mining involves money laundering activities and should be investigated under the Act. The Supreme Court’s decision will clarify the scope of the PMLA and its applicability to environmental crimes, impacting the enforcement of anti-money laundering laws in India.