Enforcement Directorate

Directorate General of Economic Enforcement
Enforcement Directorate Logo
Agency overview
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agency India
Governing body Government of India
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters New Delhi, India
Parent agency Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue

The Directorate General of Economic Enforcement (Hindi: प्रवर्तन निदेशालय) is a law enforcement agency and economic intelligence agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime in India.[1] It is part of the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. It comprises officers of the Indian administrative services Indian Revenue Service, Indian police services. It was established on the 1st day of June, 2000 by the Central Govt. of India to investigate provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.[2]

Objective

The prime objective of the Enforcement Directorate is the enforcement of two key Acts[3] of the Government of India namely, the Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999 (FEMA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA)

The ED's (Enforcement Directorate) official website enlists its other objectives which are primarily linked to checking money laundering in India.

Organizational Set Up

The ED was commissioned with its headquarters at New Delhi and has ten zones at Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chandigarh, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, Cochin and Hyderabad. Each of these zones are headed by the joint Directors.[4] Officers are drawn from the Income Tax and Customs departments. Besides, there are nine sub-zones at Indore, Agra, Srinagar, Jaipur, Varanasi, Calicut, Hyderabad, Guwahati Panjim which are headed by the Assistant Directors. Moreover, there are three Special Directors of Enforcement and one Additional Director of Enforcement and two Deputy Director at Head Office.

Special courts

For the trial of an offence punishable under section 4 of PMLA, the Central Government (in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court), designates one or more Sessions Court as Special Court(s). The court is also called "PMLA Court". Any appeal against any order passed by PMLA court can directly be filed in the High Court for that jurisdiction.[5]

Controversies

Main article: Hasan Ali Khan

Ali's premises were raided by ED as far back as 2007. However, according several news reports, the probe against him appears to have been proceeded at an extremely slow pace and seems to hit a dead end.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

References

  1. ↑ "Official Website".
  2. ↑ http://www.ceib.nic.in/ed.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.directorateofenforcement.gov.in/functions.html
  4. ↑ http://www.directorateofenforcement.gov.in/about-us.html
  5. ↑ "ED website - FAQ". directorateofenforcement. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Hasan Ali probe hits dead end". Times of India. Nov 30, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ Bali Pavan (January 31, 2011). "Billions, gone with the hawa(la)!". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  8. ↑ "ED officer suspended for slow pace of Hasan Ali probe". India Today. May 6, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  9. ↑ "SC pulls up Centre on Hasan Ali case". Times of India. Mar 3, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  10. ↑ "ED official in the dock for ‘helping’ Hasan Ali, aides". Indian Express. May 7, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  11. ↑ R Vaidyanathan - Prof of finance and control, IIM Baglore (Dec 1, 2011). "Shame them! Black money held abroad is not just a tax issue". Retrieved March 4, 2012.