The Director of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Sanjay Kumar Mishra, has been granted an extension to continue in his role until September 15, as ruled by a three-judge bench led by Justice B R Gavai. The bench’s decision came after previous extensions provided to Mishra were declared unlawful, and it was emphasized that this would be the final extension allowed for him, considering the “interest of the larger public.”
Sanjay Kumar Mishra, an officer of the 1984 batch of the Indian Revenue Service, initially assumed the position of ED Director in November 2018, with a two-year term set to conclude in November 2020 upon reaching the retirement age of 60 in May 2020. However, on November 13, 2020, the Central government issued an office order, extending his term from ‘two years’ to ‘three years,’ amending the 2018 order.
The Directorate of Enforcement is a multi-disciplinary organization entrusted with investigating money laundering offenses and foreign exchange law violations. Its primary objective is to enforce three key acts related to these matters: The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), and The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA).
Founded on May 1, 1956, the Directorate of Enforcement plays a crucial role in maintaining financial integrity and combating economic crimes in India.