Sun Mar 30 14:22:24 UTC 2025: ## Kerala High Court Upholds Broad Reach of Money Laundering Law
**Kochi, Kerala – March 30, 2025** – The Kerala High Court ruled today that the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PMLA) can be applied to predicate offenses committed even before the Act came into force or before those offenses were specifically included in the Act. This decision comes in the dismissal of petitions filed by Shamsuddin, a former Deputy Controller of Explosives, and others challenging an Enforcement Directorate (ED) case.
The court clarified that if proceeds from a past crime are used for money laundering after the PMLA’s enactment, the ED can pursue criminal action. The petitioners argued that a conviction for the predicate offense should precede any PMLA charges. However, the ED countered that delaying PMLA trials until predicate offense trials conclude could jeopardize the case due to potential witness unavailability. The court suggested proceeding with both trials simultaneously, but delaying the PMLA judgment until a predicate offense conviction is secured.
First Piper 