Delhi High Court Upholds PMLA

The India — Delhi High Court has ruled that ancestral property is not immune from attachment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). This decision came after dismissing an appeal by Arun Suri, who challenged the India — Enforcement Directorate's provisional attachment of his property in Sainik Vihar, Pitampura, Delhi. Suri argued that the property was ancestral, purchased by his father in 1991, and not acquired from illicit funds. However, the court held that the PMLA does not carve out exceptions for ancestral or inherited properties and that untainted property of equivalent value can be attached if the original proceeds of crime are untraceable. The ruling referenced a India — Supreme Court of India judgment that broadly interprets 'proceeds of crime' to include the value of such property.