The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced that it has achieved a 94% conviction rate in cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), securing convictions in 50 out of 53 cases

About Enforcement Directorate

Evolution of the Enforcement Directorate

• Formation: Established on 1 May 1956 as an “Enforcement Unit” under the Department of Economic Affairs.
• Early Mandate: Initially tasked with investigating violations of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947 (FERA ’47).
• Renaming: In 1957, the unit was rechristened as the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
• Statutory Empowerment:  Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA): Came into force on 1 June 2000, giving ED enforcement powers.
• Nodal Ministry: Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance

Appointment Structure

• Legal Framework: The Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 governs the appointment of ED’s Director.
• Role of Central Government: The Government of India appoints the Director based on recommendations of a high-level committee chaired by the Central Vigilance Commissioner.
• Committee Members: The panel includes secretaries from the Ministries of Finance (Revenue), Home Affairs, and Personnel & Training.
• Tenure Protection: The Director must serve for a minimum of two years, and transfers require approval from the appointing committee.

Statutory Functions of the ED

Organisational Structure

• Headquarters: Based in New Delhi, headed by the Director of Enforcement.
• Regional Offices: Located in Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh, Kolkata, and Delhi, each led by Special Directors.
• Zonal Offices: Functioning in cities such as Pune, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Panaji, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, and Srinagar.
• Supervision: The Director oversees all operations across regional and zonal offices.

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