The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has highlighted the restoration of assets worth over Rs 463 crore to four cooperative banks under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to its Annual Report 2025-26.
The move reflects the agency’s growing focus on restoring fraud-linked assets to victims and legitimate claimants rather than merely attaching properties.
The four cooperative institutions featured among the ED’s restitution cases for FY 2025-26. Karnala Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd. restored assets worth Rs 386 crore, the highest among cooperative banks, followed by Seva Vikas Co-operative Bank, which received assets worth Rs 45.26 crore in a major loan fraud case. Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Urban Cooperative Credit Society was restored to Rs 31.07 crore, while Kandala Service Co-operative Bank received assets worth Rs 1.07 crore.
In the Seva Vikas case, the ED had attached assets worth Rs 122 crore after investigating a Rs 429-crore loan fraud involving former bank officials and borrowers. The Special PMLA Court subsequently ordered the restoration of immovable properties worth Rs 45.26 crore to the bank.
Overall, the ED said it had restituted properties worth Rs 63,142.65 crore to victims and legitimate claimants, including banks, financial institutions and depositors, as on March 31, 2026.
During FY 2025-26 alone, restitution stood at a record Rs 32,677.97 crore, underscoring the agency’s emphasis on ensuring that victims recover their losses while offenders are deprived of the proceeds of crime.
