Archive · 20 Aug 2026
New Supreme Court Bench to Review ED Powers Under PMLA
The Supreme Court is choosing a new group of judges to examine an earlier decision about money-laundering investigations.
The case concerns the Enforcement Directorate, often called the ED.
In 2022, the court upheld several ED powers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
These powers include arresting people, searching places, seizing items and attaching property allegedly connected to money laundering.
Some petitioners want the court to review that decision.
The new group will be led by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
The judges will first decide whether the review petitions can legally be heard.
The next hearing date has not yet been announced.
The Supreme Court reconstituted the Bench hearing reviews of its 2022 PMLA judgment.
Chief Justice Surya Kant will sit with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana.
The petitions challenge the judgment upholding key Enforcement Directorate powers.
The parties agreed to the new Bench because the earlier judges now sit in different combinations.
The court said it will first consider whether the review petitions are maintainable.
- Who
- The Supreme Court, Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, and petitioners including Congress MP Karti Chidambaram.
- What
- A newly constituted three-judge Bench will hear review petitions challenging the 2022 judgment upholding key Enforcement Directorate powers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
- When
- The Bench was reconstituted on Thursday; the court had said on July 31, 2025, that maintainability would be heard first. The original judgment was issued in July 2022.
- Where
- The Supreme Court in New Delhi.
- Why
- The earlier Bench could not be retained without breaking up three existing Benches, and the parties agreed to the new composition amid stated urgency.
Review Petitioners
2022 Judgment Position
Whether the judgment should be reconsidered
Review Petitioners
Petitioners, including those represented by Kapil Sibal for Karti Chidambaram, seek review of the 2022 ruling and argue that the petitions should be heard.
2022 Judgment Position
The 2022 Supreme Court judgment upheld key provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Enforcement Directorate’s powers under it.
Scope of the court’s consideration
Review Petitioners
The petitioners proposed 13 questions for the court’s consideration in the review proceedings.
2022 Judgment Position
The Enforcement Directorate proposed three preliminary questions focused primarily on whether the review petitions are maintainable.
- New Bench
- Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana
- Matter
- Review petitions against the Supreme Court’s 2022 PMLA judgment
- Original judgment
- The July 2022 judgment in the Vijay Madanlal Choudhary case
- Powers upheld
- The Enforcement Directorate’s powers to arrest, attach allegedly linked property, and conduct searches and seizures
- First issue
- Whether the review petitions are maintainable
- Petitioner’s submission
- Senior advocate Kapil Sibal said notices had been issued in August 2022 and the petitions should now be heard
- Next hearing
- The date will be notified later