The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in India has conducted numerous raids since the 2014 elections, often targeting political leaders, particularly from opposition parties, in connection with money laundering and other financial crime investigations. Below is a list of notable ED raids and actions against political figures post-2014, based on available information. Note that this list is not exhaustive but covers prominent cases, especially those highlighted in relation to the 2014–2024 period under the Modi-led government. The raids are often criticized by opposition parties as politically motivated, particularly around election times, while the government defends them as anti-corruption measures.
Notable ED Raids and Actions Post-2014 Elections:
- September 2019: Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar (NCP, Maharashtra)
- Case: Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam.
- Details: The ED registered a money laundering case against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar. Properties linked to Ajit Pawar’s family were raided for alleged irregularities in sugar mills and cooperative banks.
- Outcome: Ajit Pawar joined the BJP-led NDA alliance in July 2023, after which the Economic Offences Wing filed a closure report in the case in January 2024.
- Case: ICore Ponzi scam.
- Details: The CBI, followed by ED actions, summoned Mamata Banerjee’s aide Partha Chatterjee in a 2014 Ponzi scam case ahead of West Bengal assembly elections.
- Case: Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association fund embezzlement.
- Details: The ED questioned former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and attached properties worth over ₹43 crore in a case based on a 2015 CBI FIR. Raids occurred shortly after the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration was formed.
- Case: Money laundering.
- Details: Former Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam was arrested after ED raids seized over ₹34 crore in unaccounted cash. The raids were timed close to elections, raising allegations of political targeting.
- Case: Money laundering.
- Details: The ED investigated real estate projects linked to Uddhav Thackeray’s aides, including MLA Ravindra Waikar. The raids were part of broader actions against Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders.
- Case: Financial misconduct.
- Details: Multiple ED raids targeted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who claimed the actions were due to his criticism of the BJP. The raids occurred ahead of key elections in Maharashtra.
- Case: Money laundering linked to underworld activities.
- Details: Senior NCP leader Nawab Malik faced ED raids and was arrested over alleged land deals connected to Dawood Ibrahim’s associates, tied to the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.
- Case: Recruitment exam paper leak and FEMA violation.
- Details: The ED raided Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra’s residences in Jaipur and Sikar over a 2022 exam paper leak case. Simultaneously, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son, Vaibhav Gehlot, was summoned in a FEMA case linked to a hospitality group. These actions occurred weeks before the Rajasthan assembly elections.
- Case: Unspecified money laundering probe.
- Details: The ED raided nine premises linked to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Minister Raaj Kumar Anand ahead of state polls. The specific case details were not disclosed.
- Case: Ration distribution scam.
- Details: The ED conducted raids and arrested West Bengal minister Jyotipriyo Mallick over alleged irregularities in the public distribution system, timed close to election periods.
- Case: Money laundering.
- Details: The ED raided premises of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in a money laundering investigation, with searches lasting over 12 hours.
- Case: Delhi excise policy scam.
- Details: The ED raided and arrested AAP MP Sanjay Singh in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy.
- Case: Karuvannur cooperative bank fraud.
- Details: The ED raided premises of CPI(M) MLA and former minister AC Moideen over an alleged ₹100 crore fraud in a party-controlled cooperative bank.
- Case: Money laundering.
- Details: The ED conducted searches at premises linked to Haryana MLA Gopal Kanda as part of a money laundering investigation.
- Case: Money laundering.
- Details: The ED raided Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s Delhi residence, seizing ₹36 lakh in cash and a BMW car, alleging benami transactions. The raids occurred amid political turmoil before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
- Case: Unspecified financial probe.
- Details: The Income Tax department, alongside ED actions, raided premises linked to Sunil Shrivastava, a key aide to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, ahead of Jharkhand assembly elections.
- Case: Jal Jeevan Mission scam.
- Details: The ED raided properties linked to Jharkhand minister Mithilesh Kumar Thakur over alleged corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme, timed close to assembly elections.
- Case: Liquor scam.
- Details: The ED raided premises of Rohit Oraon, son of Jharkhand minister Rameshwar Oraon, in connection with a liquor scam under the PMLA.
- August 2025: C. Virendra (Congress, Karnataka)
- Case: Online betting case.
- Details: The ED conducted raids in Karnataka, Mumbai, Goa, and Jodhpur targeting Congress MLA C. Virendra in connection with an online betting case, including searches at eight casinos in Goa.
Key Observations:
- Scale of Raids: Between 2014 and 2022, the ED conducted 3,010 raids under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), a 27-fold increase compared to 112 raids between 2004 and 2014 under the UPA government. By 2024, this number rose to 7,264 raids.
- Note: Critics pointed to this as an example of the "BJP washing machine," where investigations eased after leaders joined the BJP.
- Case: Coal theft case.
- Details: The ED summoned and questioned Abhishek Banerjee’s wife, Rujira Banerjee, in a money laundering probe linked to alleged illegal coal mining. The CBI also raided related premises before the West Bengal assembly elections.
Comments
Post a Comment