For victims of financial fraud, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has earmarked assets worth ₹15,000 crore for restitution during the ongoing financial year. This initiative is part of the federal agency’s aggressive push to return illegally acquired assets to those duped by Ponzi schemes, real estate scams, and other financial frauds.
According to official sources, the ED has been leveraging provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to facilitate the restoration of confiscated properties to legitimate claimants. The agency has been implementing Section 8(8) of the PMLA, which empowers special courts to direct the restoration of assets to victims who can prove a quantifiable loss due to money laundering.
Since the adoption of this proactive approach last year, the ED has secured court orders in 32 cases, enabling the restoration of significant sums. Records accessed by PTI reveal that assets worth ₹31,951 crore have been restituted to date, including ₹15,201.65 crore recovered in three high-profile cases involving fugitive economic offenders Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL).
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Between August 2024 and April 2025 alone, the agency restored assets valued at ₹15,261.15 crore. Additionally, properties worth ₹1,488 crore have been restored so far in the current fiscal year 2025-26. The ED Director, Rahul Navin, who had reviewed pending money laundering cases in June 2023, has now instructed regional offices to actively pursue cases eligible for restitution in this financial year.
The restitution process does not require the completion of a criminal trial. As per the law, once the ED files a charge sheet and charges are framed by the court, restitution proceedings can begin. The court must be satisfied that the assets were acquired through criminal means but rightfully belong to innocent victims who suffered financial losses.
To ensure accountability, recipients of restituted properties must sign a bond agreeing to return the assets if directed by the court at a later stage or upon conclusion of the trial.
The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2024 campaign promise, where he vowed to recover and return money looted from poor and unsuspecting citizens. A recent government statement reinforced this commitment, noting that the PM has repeatedly emphasized the need to restore funds siphoned off through fraudulent means back to their rightful owners.
An ED official stated underlining the agency’s resolve to use the full force of the law to safeguard the interests of citizens that this is a powerful step toward delivering justice and relief to those who have been wronged by financial criminals.