Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen assets worth Rs 81,000 crore across India during the 2025-26 financial year, in connection with complaints of irregularities and alleged illegal money transfers.
The agency registers cases against various entities based on money-laundering allegations and, as part of the process, attaches or freezes assets linked to the cases. Officials said such assets can be released if owners establish that the properties are not connected to illegal money transfers.
According to the ED, a significant share of the frozen assets relates to real estate and construction-linked cases. With the sector often flagged for the circulation of unaccounted money, the agency has intensified monitoring of real estate-related transactions.
The ED also noted that assets are frequently held in the names of benamis to conceal unaccounted wealth. In recent cases, real estate properties have been among the most commonly traced assets.
As part of scrutiny under the Real Estate (Regulation) law and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy framework, ownership details were examined. The agency said that in several instances the identity of the actual owners was not clearly established, even as assets worth Rs 81,000 crore were found to be under attachment in FY2025-26.
