The Popular Front of India (PFI) has filed a petition challenging the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) money laundering proceedings. The Delhi High Court has scheduled the next hearing in the case for November 17, 2025.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court heard a petition filed by the Popular Front of India (PFI) challenging the money laundering proceedings initiated against it by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The matter was taken up before Justice Neena Bansal Krishna.
PFI’s counsel argued that the ED had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in 2018 based on a First Information Report (FIR) from 2013.
The counsel further stated that the ED later included additional complaints in 2021, including matters related to the Hathras case.
According to the PFI, the ED has treated the 2021 ECIR as “global,” summoning multiple members without clearly explaining the predicate offences involved.
The court noted that an ECIR is only an internal document and does not have the same status as an FIR. The court observed that “proceedings truly begin when a complaint is filed.”
The ED, on the other hand, argued that the petition filed by PFI is not maintainable because the organisation itself has been declared unlawful.
The agency submitted that “only individual members can challenge the proceedings”.
It also emphasized that,
“No predicate offence has been quashed.”
The ED relied on earlier legal precedents, including the Pavana Dibbur and Tahir Hussain cases, to argue that it is allowed to proceed with its investigations.
The ED further clarified that,
“ECIR is not forwarded to magistrate, just an internal number, and highlighted that the complaints filed in Uttar Pradesh were never challenged by PFI.”
Summing up its position, the agency stated,
“Today for multiple reasons, this quashing petition is not maintainable.”
After hearing the submissions from both sides, the Delhi High Court directed the ED to file its written submissions within 15 days.
The court has scheduled the next hearing in the case for November 17, 2025.
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This case is significant as it highlights the continuing legal scrutiny of PFI’s activities and the procedural aspects of money laundering investigations under Indian law.
The debate over the nature of an ECIR, its role in initiating proceedings, and the maintainability of challenges by organisations versus individual members is expected to attract further attention in the upcoming hearings.
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