ED Files Money Laundering Charges Against Reliance Infrastructure

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has formally initiated legal proceedings by filing separate prosecution complaints under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against entities linked to the Reliance Anil Ambani Group. These charges target Reliance Infrastructure Limited (RInfra) and include a supplementary complaint against Reliance Communications (RCom) for alleged fund diversion.

ED Accuses Reliance Infrastructure of Fund Diversion

The complaint against RInfra, filed on August 8, 2026, names the company along with former Reliance Anil Ambani Group executive Sateesh Seth and other parties. This investigation stems from an FIR by the Mumbai police’s Economic Offences Wing, which alleged the use of shell companies, fictitious invoices, and overvalued diamond imports to route funds illicitly.

ED’s probe into RInfra uncovered an organized scheme to divert public funds totaling ₹187 crore from four specific NHAI-awarded toll-road projects. These projects include Trichy-Karur (NH-67), Trichy-Dindigul (NH-45), Salem-Ulundurpet (NH-68), and Jaipur-Reengus (NH-11).

The funds were allegedly siphoned during September-October 2010 through sham, post-facto, or back-dated arrangements. These arrangements were reportedly for fictitious subcontracting work, creating a facade of legitimate business expenditure.

Reliance Communications Faces Charges Over Credit Misuse

In the RCom case, the agency has filed a complaint against Reliance Communications, Reliance Telecom Limited, and former Reliance Anil Ambani Group executives Gautam Bhailal Doshi, Sateesh Seth, and Amitabh Jhunjhunwala. This inquiry was prompted by multiple FIRs from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following complaints from various banks and financial institutions.

The ED alleges a pattern where fresh credit facilities were repeatedly and fraudulently utilized to repay, rotate, and evergreen earlier domestic and foreign liabilities. This practice meant funds were not used for their intended, sanctioned purposes.

Funds were reportedly layered through a complex network involving group companies, purpose-built conduit entities, multiple bank accounts, and liquid mutual funds. This elaborate layering aimed to obscure the true nature of the transactions.

These diverted funds were then used to service earlier External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) and Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs), often projected as legitimate business expenditure or receipts. Loan proceeds were also allegedly diverted to other group companies, including Reliance Infrastructure and Reliance Capital Limited.

Further allegations include the use of these funds to purchase personal assets for promoters outside India and to artificially inflate profits for Reliance Communications. The total proceeds of crime in the RCom case are quantified at ₹40,185.55 crore, representing the outstanding amount defaulted by the borrower entities to consortium banks, financial institutions, and bondholders.

Key Financial Figures in ED’s Complaints

The Enforcement Directorate’s complaints highlight significant financial discrepancies across both cases. The RInfra investigation identified the diversion of ₹187 crore from crucial NHAI infrastructure projects.

For Reliance Communications, the total proceeds of crime are stated as ₹40,185.55 crore, reflecting the substantial defaults to its lenders and bondholders. These figures underscore the scale of the alleged financial irregularities.