ED Celebrates 69th Foundation Day with Spotlight on Rising Enforcement and National Vision

In his keynote address, Shri Pankaj Chaudhary emphasized the growing complexity of economic activities in India’s rapidly evolving financial landscape.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) marked its 69th Foundation Day in a significant ceremony held in New Delhi today, underscoring its increasingly pivotal role in combating economic crimes as India marches toward its developmental vision for 2047.

The event was presided over by Union Minister of State for Finance, Shri Pankaj Chaudhary. Joining him on the dais were several prominent figures from India’s legal and enforcement spheres, including:

• Shri S.V. Raju, Additional Solicitor General

• Shri Rahul Navin, Director, ED

• Shri Subhash Aggarwal and Shri Prashant Kumar, Special Directors, ED

• Shri Naval Kishore Ram, Joint Secretary, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance

Also present were former Directors of the ED, top officials from investigative and intelligence agencies, representatives from international organizations, senior officers across India, and high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Finance and Department of Revenue.

Minister’s Address: Aligning Enforcement with Viksit Bharat 2047

In his keynote address, Shri Pankaj Chaudhary emphasized the growing complexity of economic activities in India’s rapidly evolving financial landscape. He highlighted Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ensuring that no economic offender is able to exploit the rights of common citizens unchecked.

“The role of the Enforcement Directorate is extremely important in ensuring both prevention and punishment of economic crimes,” the Minister said, adding that “a developed India must also be a secure India—economically and otherwise.”

He acknowledged the growing sophistication of financial crimes and the increasing responsibility placed on enforcement bodies to remain agile, data-driven, and technologically equipped.

Director Rahul Navin Presents Enforcement Milestones

Director Shri Rahul Navin detailed a decade of exponential growth in enforcement action since 2014. Between 2014 and 2024, the agency initiated 5,113 new investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)—averaging more than 500 cases annually.

In the financial year 2024–25 alone:

• 775 new PMLA investigations were initiated

• 333 Prosecution Complaints were filed

• 34 individual convictions were secured

Further, the ED issued 461 provisional attachment orders valued at Rs. 30,036 crore, marking a 44% increase in the number of attachments and an astounding 141% jump in total asset value from the previous year. As of March 31, 2025, the cumulative value of assets under provisional attachment stood at Rs. 1,54,594 crore.

Another noteworthy achievement was the restitution of Rs. 15,261 crore in 30 cases during FY 2024-25, approved by courts. This process is expected to gain more momentum in the upcoming fiscal year.

“As of March 31, 2025, there are 1,739 ongoing prosecution cases, with a conviction rate of 93.6%—a strong testament to our legal preparedness and evidentiary diligence,” Shri Navin noted.

Legal Insights: Cryptocurrency and Hawala Under Scrutiny

Shri S.V. Raju, Additional Solicitor General, drew attention to the increasing misuse of cryptocurrency and hawala networks as conduits for money laundering. He encouraged ED officials to continuously enhance their skillsets and adapt to the fast-evolving techniques used by economic offenders. His address emphasized the importance of leveraging PMLA provisions to target modern money-laundering tactics.

Launch of ED Annual Report for FY 2024–25

On this ceremonial day, Shri Chaudhary also released the Annual Report of the Directorate of Enforcement for FY 2024–25, which details strategic insights, investigative highlights, and forward-looking policy recommendations.

Recognizing Exemplary Service and Courage

A significant highlight of the day was the conferring of awards to ED personnel who demonstrated exemplary service, intelligence, and bravery. Categories included:

President’s Medal for Meritorious Service

• Shri Abhishek Goyal, former Special Director, ED, was honored on Independence Day 2024 for outstanding investigative contributions.

Category I: Long-term Exemplary Service

• Shri Sujit Sadhak, Joint Director, Chennai Zonal Office-II

• Shri Suram Chandra, Sepoy, Jammu Sub-Zonal Office

Category II: Exceptional Intelligence and Investigation

This group saw a wide geographical representation, including:

• Shri Manoj Mittal, Headquarters

• Shri Sudhir Kumar and Shri Chetan Krishna H.G., Gurugram

• Shri Deovrat Jha and Shri Ravindra Dahiya, Kolkata

• Shri Gaurav Saini and Shri Gaurav Dabas, Headquarters

• Officers from Jaipur, Patna, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, and regional offices in Chennai, Allahabad, and more

Category III: Extraordinary Valour

• Jalandhar Zonal Office, under Shri Ravi Tiwari, for highest number of convictions

• Hyderabad Zonal Office, under Shri Rohit Anand, for most prosecution complaints

• Gurugram Zonal Office, under Shri Navaneet Agrawal, for the highest property attachment value

These awards not only recognize the commitment and courage of ED officers but also serve to inspire the agency as it embraces newer challenges in the financial enforcement domain.

As India transitions into a more digitized, globalized, and interconnected economy, the Enforcement Directorate’s role becomes all the more vital in safeguarding financial integrity and upholding the rule of law. The 69th Foundation Day celebrations served as both a moment of reflection and a blueprint for the agency’s ambitious journey ahead.