Praveen Kumar Vs Union of India & Ors. (Calcutta High Court)
Calcutta High Court, in the case of Praveen Kumar vs. Union of India & Ors., has issued a directive to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to issue fresh summons to the petitioner, Praveen Kumar, under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The court emphasized that these fresh summons should ideally include the ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) number and details of the predicate offence that led to the registration of the ECIR and the subsequent search and seizure. This ruling comes after a writ petition was filed by Praveen Kumar challenging an ED search authorization and seeking the return of seized cash.
Background of the Case:
Praveen Kumar approached the Calcutta High Court challenging a search authorization dated June 11, 2025. The petitioner contended that the search and seizure operation conducted by the ED was illegal because it took place at an address not specified in the search authorization. Furthermore, Kumar claimed he was not informed of the predicate offence for which the ED’s investigation was being carried out. He sought the return of Rs. 9,00,000/- in seized cash and a directive against any coercive action by the ED.
