ED Closes Record 685 Legacy Cases in FY26 Amid Efforts to Reduce Backlog

Enforcement Directorate Records Highest-Ever Disposal of Cases in FY26

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) achieved a record 685 investigations in FY26, a significant increase from the 198 cases closed in FY25. This marks a nearly fivefold rise in disposals, surpassing the cumulative closures recorded between 2019 and FY25. The ED attributes the exponential growth in case disposals to its renewed internal efforts to reduce pendency and speed up investigations through a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) introduced last year.

According to data analyzed by Moneycontrol, the ED carried out record property attachments during the year, with properties worth Rs 81,422 crore attached, the highest-ever annual attachment value. This pushed the cumulative value of attached assets to around Rs 2.36 lakh crore. The agency also reported restitution worth Rs 32,000 crore during FY26, providing compensation or recovery to victims who lost money due to alleged frauds or financial crimes.

Key Statistics

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The ED's disposal drive comes amid mounting workload pressures, with the agency currently facing a sharp rise in investigations over recent years. According to media reports, the agency has around 2,000 officers, nearly 70 percent of whom are on deputation from other government departments.

The SOP introduced last year aimed to standardize timelines and encourage field formations to identify cases where investigations had substantially concluded. Officials said the effort sought to reduce delays and shorten the lifecycle of pending cases. The agency follows multiple categories of closures, including cases where formal closure reports have been filed before Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) courts, and cases where investigation has been completed but accused persons could not be traced and no property attachments could be made.

Of the 685 closures during FY26, around 200 were archival closures, while another 200 fell under Statistical Closure-II, according to the data reviewed by Moneycontrol. Importantly, these categories can be reopened with approval from the ED's Special Director if fresh evidence or developments emerge.

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The ED's disposal push came even as the agency expanded fresh investigations, opening a record 1,080 new cases during FY26, taking the total number of investigations initiated since 2005 to 8,851. The agency's expanding role as one of India's most active financial enforcement agencies continues to be debated, with concerns around its growing powers, mounting caseload, and operational capacity.