(Image source from: Black money probe gaining momentum})

In a major action against black money hoarders and money launderers, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets to the tune of Rs 9,003 crore and filed 173 charge sheets in the financial year 2014-15. As part of its efforts to crack down on illicit funds in India and abroad, in the last year registered a mammoth 400 per cent rise in the numbers of assets attached, over 500 per cent increase in the number of criminal FIRs lodged, over 600 per cent more numbers of arrests made of people suspected to be involved in laundering crimes and more than 200 per cent jump in the filing of prosecution complaints or charge sheets as compared to the 2013-14 fiscal.

The agency probes financial crimes under two prime laws of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) along with some old cases pending under the repealed Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA). The report states that the ED, under PMLA, attached assets to the tune of Rs 9,003.26 crore, registered 1,326 PMLA FIRs, arrested 52 people on laundering charges and filed a total of 173 charge sheets during 2014-15. It has issued a total of 492 attachment orders and got 355 confirmed from the Adjudicating Authority of the PMLA, the first appellate body against an order issued by the ED authority.

This is a welcome step for the promises given by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

By Premji