Delhi High Court Upholds ED's Power to Attach Illegal Betting Proceeds As ‘Proceeds of Crime’

The Delhi High Court has held that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can attach properties acquired through illegal cricket betting money, treating such funds as "proceeds of crime" under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), even though cricket betting is not a scheduled offence.

The Division Bench held that the money generated through betting using acts of forgery, cheating, and conspiracy is 'proceeds of crime' under Section 2(1)(u) of the PMLA. 

The court upheld the agency's action against assets derived from unauthorized betting operations, reinforcing the broad scope of anti-money laundering laws.

It noted that PMLA intentionally allows single, two or three-member benches to maintain efficacy.

[Naresh Bansal and Ors v. Adjudicating Authority and Anr.]