Cases piling up, ED moves to fast-track investigations, also push for speedy trial

Meanwhile, the agency is also engaging with the judiciary to establish more special courts for adjudication of money laundering cases.

Pending trials and slow investigations have been one of the drawbacks of the agency. Since the PMLA came into force in 2005, the ED has registered 8,327 cases (up to November 2025), attached assets worth over Rs 1.85 lakh crore and arrested more than 1,100 people. It has, however, completed probes and filed prosecution complaints in only 1,927 cases (less than 25 per cent).

The record of trials is worse. Till date, trials have been completed in only 56 cases, of which 53 ended in conviction. According to data, charges have been framed in only 386 cases so far.

Sources, however, said the ED’s conviction rate, which is around 95 per cent, was better than most central agencies. The conviction rate is around 70 per cent for the CBI, and around 94 per cent for the NIA

“Yet, pending investigations and trials frustrate the cause of justice and inconvenience both the agency and the suspects. They have also earned the agency significant criticism. Trials are not in our hands, but we can close cases fast. That is why everyone has been asked to ensure speedy investigation, filing of prosecution complaints (chargesheets) and regular follow-up in the courts to speed up trials,” an ED official said.

In fact, the director has set a target of 500 prosecution complaints for this financial year, the official said. Since the start of the financial year, the agency has filed 188 prosecution complaints so far.

The efforts to improve efficiency and performance have seen an increase in the number of prosecution complaints filed — from just 12 in 2012-13 to 333 last financial year. Since 2021-22, when the agency filed 128 prosecution complaints, its speed of completing probes has also improved. The agency filed 172 prosecution complaints in 2022-23, and 281 in 2023-24.

The agency has been underlining the issue in its quarterly conferences, too. The matter also came up at the conference in Srinagar in September.

“One of the important issues that was discussed during the conference was regarding the fast-tracking of trial of PMLA cases. The ED Director reviewed the statistics and directed zonal heads to expedite pending investigations, ensure filing of final prosecution complaints, and make all possible efforts to fast-track trials. Following the observations of the Hon’ble Supreme Court Bench during the review of the Vijay Madanlal Chaudhary judgment regarding establishing exclusive Special Courts for PMLA, it was noted that letters were sent to registrars of all Chief Justices for consideration of the proposal of establishing exclusive PMLA courts,” the agency said in a statement earlier.

The agency is also training its focus on asset recovery and its restitution to banks and other victims of money laundering. Till date, it has recovered assets worth over Rs 36,000 crore. For FY 2025-26, it has set a target of Rs 15,000 crore.