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Saturday, February 28, 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.

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Fresh CBI FIR was based on complaint by Bank of Baroda alleging RCOM and Anil Ambani caused the bank a loss of around Rs 2,223 crore between 2013 and 2017.

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

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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’

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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