ED Returns ₹63,000 Crore in Assets to Victims
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has successfully returned over ₹63,000 crore to victims of financial fraud, which represents about 27% of the total ₹2.36 lakh crore connected to various cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This update comes from recent information released by the agency.
A significant portion of the returned funds is linked to high-profile cases involving individuals and companies such as Vijay Mallya (₹14,131 crore), the Pearl Group (₹15,582 crore), Sterling Biotech Ltd (₹9,811 crore), Mehul Choksi (₹2,565 crore), and Nirav Modi (₹1,112 crore). It’s worth noting that the Sterling Biotech case is now concluded, following a Supreme Court ruling in November 2025; however, the assets were managed and released prior to this judgment.
An unnamed official explained that the primary goal over the past few years has been to secure properties under the PMLA. This helps prevent accused individuals from disposing of assets while enabling coordination with banks, non-banking financial companies, and resolution experts to ensure victims recover their lost funds.
Data shows that from 2005, when the PMLA came into effect, until 2019, the ED did not focus on returning seized assets to victims. Instead, these assets remained considered as case property, under court custody until cases were resolved. Restitution efforts began in the 2019-20 financial year, when ₹1,613 crore was returned to victims. Since then, amounts returned have increased significantly: ₹13,517 crore in 2021-22, ₹71 crore in 2023-24, ₹15,263 crore in 2024-25, and an impressive ₹33,000 crore projected for 2025-26.
The ED aims to recover and restore about 40% to 50% of attached assets by the end of this year.
As of December 2025, the ED has registered a total of 8,391 money laundering cases nationwide. However, out of these, the courts have delivered judgments in only 58 cases, resulting in 55 convictions involving 123 individuals, as reported by the government in Parliament this February.
In addition to PMLA cases, the ED has intensified its efforts under the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act, confiscating assets worth ₹930 crore to date.
The PMLA was introduced in 2002 and took effect in July 2005, aiming to combat serious crimes such as tax evasion, money laundering, and the generation of black money.
