ED filed 193 cases against politicians, two convictions

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed 193 cases against politicians, both current and former, over the past ten years, according to government information shared in Parliament. The data shows that 32 of these cases were filed during the 2022-23 fiscal year alone. In a written response, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated that the ED secured convictions in only two of these cases. The convictions occurred in the fiscal years 2016-17 and 2019-20. However, he did not provide specific details about the individuals or cases involved. Records indicate that former Jharkhand minister Hari Narayan Rai was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined ₹5 lakh in 2017. Another former minister, Anosh Ekka, received a similar seven-year sentence and a fine of ₹2 crore in 2020. Both convictions were linked to money-laundering investigations involving former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda. The ED investigates cases based on credible evidence and does not discriminate by political affiliation or religion, according to Mr. Chaudhary. The agency operates under laws related to money laundering and is subject to oversight by various judicial authorities.