Supreme Court reconstitutes Bench for PMLA review pleas
What Happened
The Supreme Court has reconstituted a three-judge Bench to hear review petitions against its July 2022 judgment upholding major parts of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will head the new Bench, with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
Legal Impact
The review goes to some of the PMLA’s most contested features: the reverse burden of proof, the ECIR’s status, and the strict bail rules that the 2022 ruling left intact. If the Court broadens the review beyond the Enforcement Directorate’s preferred two issues, it could reopen the reach of a precedent that has shaped money-laundering cases since 2022.
Key Uncertainty
The Enforcement Directorate argues the petitions may be trying to secure a rehearing rather than pointing to an error apparent on the face of the record.
The petitioners are seeking reconsideration of the ECIR and reverse-burden rulings, but the Court has not yet fixed the hearing date or the final scope of review.
Next Decision
The new Bench will separately fix a date and decide how wide the review can be.