On Tuesday, 3 February 2026, the Union Government informed the Rajya Sabha that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recorded 5,158 money laundering investigations since 2020, Indian Express reported.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary revealed that while thousands of cases were initiated, convictions were secured in 43 cases, involving 104 individuals.
The Minister highlighted that the agency maintains a high conviction rate of 94.82%, calculated based on cases decided on merits by special courts. This data reflects a period of intensified financial scrutiny across the country under the PMLA.
Rising Case Volumes
The registration of Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs) has seen a notable upward trend over the last six years. The year-by-year breakdown provided by the government shows 996 cases in 2020-21, peaking at 1,116 in 2021-22.
Following this, the numbers shifted to 953 cases in 2022-23 and 698 in 2023-24. For the most recent cycle, the ED recorded 775 cases in 2024-25 and 620 cases so far in 2025-26.
This surge indicates a proactive approach by the central agency in tracking the proceeds of crime and targeting large-scale financial irregularities.
The Conviction Metric
A critical highlight of the report is the specific success rate in the courtroom. Since 2020, the ED has secured convictions in 43 cases, leading to the sentencing of 104 accused persons. Minister Pankaj Chaudhary clarified that the 94.82% conviction rate is a percentage of total cases “decided on merits.”
This means that in the vast majority of trials that reached a final judgment, the prosecution successfully proved its case. This high percentage serves as a benchmark for the agency’s investigative quality, even as the volume of total pending cases remains quite large.
Geographic Data Gaps
Despite the detailed year-wise statistics, the government noted that state-wise data for money laundering investigations is not centrally maintained by the ED. The focus remains on the nature of the crime and the trail of illicit funds rather than regional boundaries.
By targeting the financial infrastructure of criminal activities, the agency aims to cripple the economic power of offenders.
This central monitoring approach helps in dealing with cross-border financial crimes, although it leaves some questions unanswered regarding which specific Indian states are seeing the highest concentration of financial fraud.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that accountability is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. A 94.82% conviction rate is a significant statistical achievement for an investigative agency; however, the fact that only 43 cases out of over 5,000 have reached a final judgment in six years points to a deeper systemic bottleneck.
Justice is not only served when the guilty are convicted, but also when the process is timely. We advocate for the strengthening of judicial infrastructure to ensure that investigations do not result in years of legal limbo for those involved.
