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Wednesday, February 25, 2026
TopicEnforcement Directorate

Topic: Enforcement Directorate

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is a central agency working directly under the Ministry of Finance, tasked with investigating and enforcing laws related to financial offenses. Its origin goes back to 1 May, 1956, when an Enforcement Unit was formed in the Department of Economic Affairs for handling Exchange Control Laws violations under Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947. The following year, this Unit was renamed as Enforcement Directorate.

The ED’s mandate encompasses investigating offenses under significant legislative frameworks such as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Foreign Exchange Management Act of 1999 (FEMA), and the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act of 2018 (FEOA). The agency investigates individuals and entities involved in financial wrongdoing. This may include tracing illicit funds, seizing assets acquired through illegal means, and prosecuting offenders to ensure accountability and deterrence.

Headquartered in New Delhi, the ED operates through a network of regional offices in Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh, Kolkata.

Bengal I-PAC raid: ED defends its Article 32 writ in SC as ‘guardian of citizens’ fundamental rights’

Bhadra Sinha -
In joint rejoinder submitted in response to counter filed by Mamata, agency said it has approached top court in capacity of parens patriae, as guardian of fundamental rights of citizens.

Anil Ambani pledges cooperation in ED probe in loan fraud case, tells SC he’s ‘not a flight risk’

Ruchi Bhattar -
Reliance Group chairman files an affidavit, saying he will not leave India without top court's nod. He adds he 'wasn't involved in day-to-day management/ops' of accused companies of group.

Ludhiana agent ‘settled’ 100 visa cases but bank shows no payouts—ED protests Punjab cops’ probe

Mayank Kumar -
After most FIRs against a Ludhiana-based agent were quashed on compromise, ED questioned how complainants were paid when no matching transactions appeared in his accounts. 

ED imposes Rs 184 cr fine on NewsClick, editor Purkayastha over ‘deliberate, systemic’ FEMA violations

Mayank Kumar -
The firm misrepresented business to receive Rs 9.59 crore FDI in 2018-19, and violated forex, export reporting norms involving Rs 82.63 crore remittances, the agency said.

Baby bought for 4 lakh sold at 30 lakh: ED cracks open Secunderabad ‘surrogacy’ racket, finds millions

Mayank Kumar -
ED claims newborns were procured from poor families, birth certificates forged, & childless couples charged up to Rs 30 lakh in a trafficking racket masked as surrogacy services.

ED charges ex-officer at centre of bribery case at its Shimla office. ‘Laundering of over Rs 1 crore’

Mayank Kumar -
CBI had also charged the ED officer, arrested a year ago, of demanding bribes to give relief to two accused in a scholarship scam in Himachal Pradesh.

Alchemist insolvency proceedings were a ‘self-controlled loop’. How ED’s findings guided NCLT action

Mayank Kumar -
Former Rajya Sabha MP Kanwar Deep Singh founded and headed the Alchemist group of companies.

Why the delay? SC raps ED, CBI for slow probe into Anil Ambani group loan fraud case

Bhadra Sinha -
Anil Ambani cannot leave country without court's permission. SC bench asks ED to set up an SIT; CBI and ED directed to submit status reports on investigation every month.

‘Didn’t inform local stations before, tried to intimidate’—WB Police counters ED’s charges on I-PAC raids

Mayank Kumar -
Senior West Bengal Police officers filed affidavits before the Supreme Court in response to ED’s writ petition, which alleged obstruction during the raid on I-PAC office in Kolkata last month.

‘Daughters’ US college fees paid from firm’s money’: ED charges against ex-director of Anil Ambani’s RCOM

Mayank Kumar -
The agency arrested Punit Garg Thursday under PMLA in connection with Rs 40,000-crore bank fraud and money laundering case involving RCOM & its subsidiaries. 
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