Bombay High Court Curbs ED Power, Orders Return of Seized Assets
In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court has directed India's financial crime agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to return all seized documents and digital devices, and unfreeze a bank locker belonging to Mukesh Talreja, a director of Chellaram Mills. This order, issued on October 14, 2026, comes because the ED failed to get the necessary approval to hold these assets beyond a legally set 180-day limit under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court found that the agency simply let the strict deadline pass without seeking an extension from the Adjudicating Authority.













