 "ED's raids, cases increased manifold during last 8 years: Centre tells RS")
Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary has informed the Rajya Sabha that since the NDA government has been in power, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached proceeds of crime worth Rs 99,356 crore and filed charge-sheets in 888 cases resulting in conviction of 23 accused whereas no person was convicted during the previous UPA government's tenure.
He said that the ED carried out 3,010 search operations between 2014-2022 (NDA government's tenure) whereas it was only 113 between 2004-2014 (UPA government's tenure). Thus, the ED witnessed a hike of 27-fold increase in its raids.
He gave the reply in written form to a question asked by Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on behalf of the ruling Union government.
The Union Minister added that the ED raids increased in numbers but it was done to dispose off pending cases.
Chaudhary said that in a number of cases there are multiple accused and therefore multiple raids were required in those cases to complete the investigation during prescribed time period.
Chaturvedi had asked whether ED raids have increased nearly 90 per cent since 2014 or not.
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The Union Minister while responding to the question added that during the nine years of the previous UPA government, only 112 search operations were conducted and property worth Rs 5,346.16 crore were attached.
He said that during the last nine years of UPA government, only 104 charge-sheets were filed by the ED and the court did not convict a single accused.
Chaudhary further added that during the NDA government's tenure, 3,010 search operations were conducted in order to complete the investigation in old and new cases. He said that from 2014-2022, the ED attached proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 99,356 crore, charge-sheets were filed in 888 cases while the court convicted 23 accused.
The Union Minister also added that confiscation of proceeds of crime was to the tune of Rs 869.31 crore during the last eight years of the NDA government.
Chaudhary said that action was also taken in cases related to Foreign Exchange Management Act.
He added that between 2004 to 2014, 571 raids were conducted and 8,586 cases were lodged while showcause notices were sent in 2,780 cases. Penalty of Rs 1,754 crore was imposed during this period and properties worth Rs 14 crore were also seized, the Union Minister said.
"During 2014-2022, the ED took up 22,330 cases and conducted 996 searches while showcause notices were sent in 5,329 cases. During this period, a penalty of Rs 6,376.51 crore was imposed on the accused and properties worth Rs Rs 7,066 crore were seized," Chaudhary said.
--IANS
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