193 Registered Cases and 2 Convictions: The Figures of ED’s 10-Year Crackdown on MPs, MLAs, MLCs and Political Leaders

Latest official reports suggest that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had registered 193 cases against Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs), Members of Legislative Councils (MLCs), and other political figures over the past decade - all of which resulted in only two convictions by judicial courts.

Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary who is a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) revealed the information in response to an unstarred question posed by A. A. Rahim, a Member of Parliament and the national president of the Democratic Youth Federation of India. Rahim, who is also a member of the Kerala State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), sought clarity on the number of cases, their outcomes, and whether there was a rise in ED actions against opposition leaders in recent years.

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The following list reveals the number of cases registered against political figures over the past decade:

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Time Period	Total Cases Registered
01.04.2015 – 31.03.2016	10
01.04.2016 – 31.03.2017	14
01.04.2017 – 31.03.2018	07
01.04.2018 – 31.03.2019	11
01.04.2019 – 31.03.2020	26
01.04.2020 – 31.03.2021	27
01.04.2021 – 31.03.2022	26
01.04.2022 – 31.03.2023	32
01.04.2023 – 31.03.2024	27
01.04.2024 – 28.02.2025	13
Total	193

The numbers revealed by the Minister show that ED had steadily registered cases against political figures over the last decade, but the same had resulted in only 2 convictions with one between 01.04.2016 – 31.03.2017 and the other happening between 01.04.2019 – 31.03.2020.

Despite the large number of cases filed, the minuscule conviction rate raises concerns about the efficacy and impartiality of the agency’s investigations.

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Rahim also inquired whether there has been an increase in ED cases against opposition leaders in recent years. Chaudhary’s response was that no such information is maintained - another conveniently missing statistic, amidst the increasing allegations that the ED may have disproportionately targeted opposition figures. Independent reports indicate that 95% of politicians investigated by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since 2014 have been from opposition parties.

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Despite the apprehensions, Minister Chaudhary maintained that the ED functions as an independent agency and does not distinguish cases based on political affiliations. The agency, which operates under the Ministry of Finance, derives its powers from laws such as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), and the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA).

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However, the ED, being a subset of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance, is a unit within the governance of the Union Government.

Minister Pankar Chaudhary further stated that the ED is accountable to various judicial bodies, including the Adjudicating Authority, Special Courts, and the Supreme Court. However, with an increasing number of cases and a disproportionately low conviction rate, questions remain on whether the agency’s actions are truly about tackling financial crimes or merely being used as a political tool.

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