SC reconstitutes three-judge bench to hear pleas against 2022 verdict upholding ED powers
New Delhi, May 4 (PTI): The Supreme Court has reconstituted a three-judge bench to decide if its 2022 verdict upholding the Enforcement Directorate's powers to arrest and attach property under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act needs reconsideration.
The reconstituted bench of Justice Surya Kant, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Kotiswar Singh will take up a batch of petitions seeking a review of the 2022 verdict.
The matter is listed for hearing on May 7.
Earlier, a bench of Justice Kant, Justice Bhuyan and Justice CT Ravikumar was hearing the matter.
Justice Ravikumar superannuated on January 5.
On March 6, after the pleas were listed before a two-judge bench, Justice Kant told the lawyers appearing in the matter that it was wrongly listed and assured them that a new three-judge bench would shortly take up the issue.
The top court in July 2022 upheld the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) powers of arrest and attachment of property involved in money laundering, search and seizure under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In August that year, the top court agreed to hear pleas seeking review of its verdict and observed that two aspects -- not providing an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and reversal of the presumption of innocence -- "prima facie" required reconsideration.
Observing it was common the world over that money laundering was a "threat" to the good functioning of a financial system, the apex court upheld the validity of certain provisions of the PMLA, underlining it was not an "ordinary offence".
The top court had said authorities under the 2002 law were "not police officers as such" and the ECIR could not be equated with an FIR under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
It had said supply of an ECIR copy in every case to the person concerned was not mandatory and it was enough if the ED, at the time of arrest, disclosed the grounds for it.
The verdict came on a batch of more than 200 petitions filed by individuals and other entities questioning various provisions of the PMLA, a law the opposition often claims is weaponised by the government to harass its political adversaries.
Section 45 of the PMLA, which deals with offences to be cognisable and non-bailable and have twin conditions for bail, is reasonable and does not suffer from the vice of arbitrariness or unreasonableness, the top court had said.
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Sameer Ahmed elected President of SKMWA Muscat for 2026–2027
Muscat: Sameer Ahmed, a native of Udupi and currently employed in a private company in Muscat, has been elected President of the South Kanara Muslim Welfare Association (SKMWA), Muscat, for the 2026–2027 term.
The election was conducted during the association’s Annual General Body Meeting held at Al Reef Hotel, Muscat, in the presence of chief guests Adil Shaikh, Monabba, Shareef, and Sahebzada Mehmood.
The newly elected office bearers include Vice Presidents Mohd Arif (Udupi) and Niyaz Mohammed (Mangalore), General Secretary Jaseem Basha (Kundapura), Joint Secretaries Rizwan Ali (Udupi) and Zaheer Hussain (Moodbidri), Treasurer Tajuddin Sheikh (Tonse), Assistant Treasurer Irfan Ahmed (Udyavara), Finance Secretary Mohammed Asif Gafur (Karkala), Assistant Finance Secretary Mohammed Akif Gafoor (Karkala), and Auditor Ashraf Ali (Kaup).
The Core Committee includes Event Coordinators Ansar Katipalla and Adil Moodbidri, and Sports Coordinators Ashpak Basrur and Muneer Ahmed (Sastan).
The programme commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Zaid Asif. The Annual Activity Report for 2025 was presented by Sameer Ahmed, while the financial report was delivered by Mohammed Asif Gafoor and verified by Auditor Ashraf Ali.
Former president Azim was felicitated by Syed Mohiddin Saheb during the event.
The meeting concluded with an address by the newly elected president, followed by a vote of thanks proposed by General Secretary Jaseem Basha. The programme was coordinated by Syed Mohiddin Saheb (Sastan) and Ansar Katipalla.
