‘3,000 cases in 180 days’: SC questions ED over PMLA adjudication

The court emphasized the serious civil consequences of property attachment and asked ED for details on attachment orders and their resolution timelines.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the practice of allowing a single member of the PMLA adjudicating authority to decide cases involving attachment of properties, asking whether there could be genuine application of mind when thousands of matters had to be dealt with within the statutory 180-day period.

“Will there be real application of mind or signing on the dotted lines?” , the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant-led bench asked during a hearing on whether a single member, particularly one without judicial experience, could confirm provisional property attachments made by ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The bench, also comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, reserved its judgment on the issue but directed ED to furnish details of the number of attachment orders issued by it and the time taken by the adjudicating authority to dispose of challenges to such orders.