PMLA: SC to hold open court hearing today on review plea

The Supreme Court Thursday will hold an open Court hearing on a petition seeking review of the verdict which upheld provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act last month.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, Dinesh Maheshwari and CT Ravikumar considered the review petition in the chambers on Wednesday and ordered an open Court hearing which will take place onThursday.

A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and CT Ravikumar had in its July 27 ruling upheld the constitutional validity of the provisions of PMLA, calling it a "unique and special legislation" and underlining the powers of the Enforcement Directorate to hold inquiries, arrest people and attach property. Several political parties have termed the legislation as draconian.


The ruling came on 241 petitions challenging the validity and interpretation of certain provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The 545-page judgement authored by Khanwilkar - who retired a day later - observed that various provisions of PMLA "do not suffer from the vice of arbitrariness." Several critics argued that the verdict gave unbridled powers to ED. The bench overruled a two-member SC bench of 2017.