The Supreme Court has questioned whether a single-member bench of the PMLA Adjudicating Authority can adequately review Enforcement Directorate attachment orders when it does not include a judicial member.
Petitioners argue that the authority performs a quasi-judicial function because it decides whether provisional attachment of property should continue. The Court also raised questions about workload and the quality of scrutiny when a large number of cases must be decided within statutory timelines.
The issue is institutionally important because attachment can create serious civil consequences even before a criminal trial is completed. The Court has reserved its decision and sought relevant data from the ED.
