The Centre disclosed that out of 193 cases initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against political leaders since 2015, only two have resulted in convictions. It emphasized that the ED investigates cases solely based on credible evidence. The agency does not differentiate based on political affiliations. This clarification comes amid ongoing scrutiny of ED’s actions in political cases.
New Delhi: The Ministry of Finance and Revenue recently informed Parliament that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered 193 cases over the last decade against current and former MPs, MLAs, MLCs, political figures, and individuals associated with political parties.
The Ministry further stated that only two convictions have been achieved in this ten-year period.
This information was provided by Pankaj Chaudhary, the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry, in response to queries from Member of Parliament (MP) AA Rahim from Kerala.
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Rahim raised several questions, including:
- Government initiatives aimed at improving transparency and efficiency in ED investigations.
- The number of ED cases filed against MPs, MLAs, and members of local administration over the past ten years, broken down by party, state, and year.
- Yearly statistics on convictions, acquittals, and pending investigations.
- An inquiry into the increase in cases against opposition leaders and an explanation for this trend.
In response to the first question, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) does not maintain data on cases registered against MPs, MLAs, and local administrators categorized by party and state.
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However, he did provide year-wise details of cases against current and former MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and political leaders, as well as individuals affiliated with political parties over the past decade.
The highest number of cases 32 was registered during the period from April 2022 to March 2023.
Chaudhary further noted that out of the 193 cases registered in the last ten years, only two have resulted in convictions, and there have been no acquittals to date.
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In response to the inquiry about a potential increase in ED cases against opposition leaders in recent years and the rationale behind this trend, the minister indicated that no such data is maintained.
Regarding the fourth question, the reply clarified that the ED only pursues cases for investigation based on credible evidence or material, without differentiating cases by political affiliation, religion, or any other criteria.
Additionally, it was stated that the actions of the ED are always subject to judicial review.
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