📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Muhammad Mahdi Karim/ Augustus Binu
National
Karnataka HC: ED Cannot Act As 'Super Cop', Powers Limited To PMLA
✍️ NDTV Top
🗓 07 Nov 2026, 03:44 PM
👁 6
The Karnataka High Court has clarified that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) must strictly adhere to powers expressly conferred under the PMLA and cannot act beyond its legal mandate.
The Karnataka High Court has drawn a clear legal boundary regarding the operational scope of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). In a significant ruling, the Court held that the ED cannot function as a 'super cop' with unlimited authority.
The bench clarified that unlike an ordinary private individual, the ED is a statutory body bound by specific laws. Therefore, it must exercise only those powers that have been expressly conferred upon it under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The judgment emphasizes that the agency's investigative and enforcement actions are strictly limited to the provisions of the PMLA. Any action taken outside the scope of these expressly granted powers would be considered legally invalid.
This ruling serves as a check on the agency's authority, reinforcing the principle that even powerful investigative bodies must operate within the confines of the law and cannot assume powers not explicitly granted by the legislature.
The bench clarified that unlike an ordinary private individual, the ED is a statutory body bound by specific laws. Therefore, it must exercise only those powers that have been expressly conferred upon it under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The judgment emphasizes that the agency's investigative and enforcement actions are strictly limited to the provisions of the PMLA. Any action taken outside the scope of these expressly granted powers would be considered legally invalid.
This ruling serves as a check on the agency's authority, reinforcing the principle that even powerful investigative bodies must operate within the confines of the law and cannot assume powers not explicitly granted by the legislature.