In a written reply to Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary revealed that the Enforcement Directorate has registered 193 cases against MPs, MLAs, and political leaders over the past decade, but secured only two convictions during this period.
The data, provided in response to an unstarred question from Member of Parliament from Kerala, A.A. Rahim, shows a notable increase in cases registered against political figures since 2019. From just 10 cases in 2015-16, the numbers rose significantly to 26 cases in 2019-20, peaking at 32 cases in 2022-23, before slightly decreasing to 27 cases in 2023-24.
Despite this substantial caseload, the conviction rate remains remarkably low. Only two cases have resulted in convictions over the ten-year period - one in 2016-17 and another in 2019-20. The ministry noted that no cases have resulted in acquittals on merit during this time frame.
When asked whether there has been an increase in ED cases filed against opposition leaders in recent years, the ministry stated that ‘no such information is maintained’. According to the Minister, ED does not maintain the data of the political affiliation of the accused.
"ED takes up cases for investigation based on credible evidence/material and does not distinguish cases based on political affiliations, religion or otherwise” says the Minister. He emphasized that the ED's actions are subject to judicial review through various forums including Adjudicating Authority, Appellate Tribunal, Special Courts, High Courts, and the Supreme Court.
The ministry did not provide state-wise or party-wise breakdowns of the cases, noting that such detailed information is not maintained in their records. The response also did not elaborate on any specific reforms undertaken to improve transparency and efficiency in ED investigations, despite this being explicitly asked in the parliamentary question.
The data covers the period from April 1, 2015, through February 28, 2025, with 13 cases registered in the current financial year alone.
'This answer given by the Government clearly shows how agencies like ED are being used for political purpose. We can see that during the second tenure of the Modi Government, there is a surge in the cases' says A A Rahim, the Member of Parliament from Kerala who raised the question in the House. He said that misusing investigating agencies for political gains will only weaken the democracy.
