Supreme Court Ruling on Accused's Right to Documents under PMLA

 In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court held that individuals accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) have the right to access both relied-upon and unrelied-upon documents seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). This aligns PMLA procedures with the Criminal Procedure Code (now BNSS, 2023).

Key Highlights:

• Seized Documents: Accused can obtain copies of all documents seized, whether relied upon or not.

• During Trial: Accused may seek unrelied documents during trial for effective defense and cross-examination.

• At Bail Stage: Requests for documents during bail can be resisted if the investigation is ongoing.

• Legal Principle: Reinforces Article 21 rights (fair trial) and procedural fairness in economic offences.

This judgment clarifies and strengthens the procedural rights of the accused under PMLA proceedings.