Archive · 16 Sep 2026
ED Chief Rahul Navin Orders Crackdown on IBC Fraud
The Enforcement Directorate investigates serious money-related crimes.
Its director, Rahul Navin, wants officers to act more strongly against fraud involving failed companies and their assets.
Some company deals use very large discounts, called haircuts, which may let former owners regain control.
The ED also wants faster action when police do not register cases after receiving its findings.
It plans to work with police and other agencies through joint investigation teams.
Important money-laundering trials should be completed faster, with a goal of convictions in six to eight months.
The agency wants stolen or attached property returned to people who were harmed.
More staff are expected to help reduce the time needed for investigations.
Enforcement Directorate Director Rahul Navin ordered intensified action against Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code fraud, including deals involving large haircuts that may help promoters regain assets.
The agency is exploring alternative legal steps and joint investigation teams when police do not register FIRs based on ED referrals.
Navin directed regional offices to identify at least 10 high-profile cases each and seek convictions within six to eight months.
A cadre restructuring will increase ED posts from 2,029 to 3,256, with the agency targeting shorter investigations.
The ED said it has restored Rs 73,800 crore in assets to fraud victims across 76 cases and will pursue restitution more aggressively.
- Who
- Enforcement Directorate Director Rahul Navin and ED officers.
- What
- The ED is intensifying investigations into IBC and PMLA fraud, seeking faster trials, improved coordination, and quicker restitution for victims.
- When
- The directives were issued during a two-day quarterly ED conference that concluded on Tuesday; no calendar date was provided.
- Where
- The conference concluded at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
- Why
- To address alleged IBC malpractices, delays in police FIR registration, lengthy investigations, slow trials, and the need to return assets to fraud victims.
- ED staffing plan
- Sanctioned cadre restructuring would increase posts from 2,029 to 3,256.
- Investigation timeline
- The agency aims to reduce investigations from four to five years to about one and a half years.
- Trial target
- Regions must identify at least 10 high-profile cases each, with convictions targeted within six to eight months.
- Restitution record
- The ED said it has restituted Rs 73,800 crore across 76 cases.
- Targeted IBC practices
- Officials will examine circumvention of Section 29A, inflated related-party claims, Committee of Creditors manipulation, asset stripping, and disproportionately large haircuts.
- FIR response
- The ED is considering joint teams involving the ED, police, and other agencies when police do not register cases based on ED referrals.
- Technology warning
- Navin cautioned that offline artificial-intelligence tools can create data-leakage risks for confidential case material.