Designating court of VI Additional Sessions Judge, Raipur as Special Courts (PMLA) in the State of Chhattisgarh

## Policy Analysis Report: Amendment to S.O. 372E, dated February 5, 2016, under the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 **1. Executive Summary:** This report analyzes an amendment to Notification S.O. 372E, dated February 5, 2016, concerning the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002. The amendment, issued on May 23, 2025, modifies the designated court for handling cases related to the Act within the State of Chhattisgarh. Specifically, it replaces the existing entry for Chhattisgarh with "Court of VI Additional Sessions, Judge, Raipur" and specifies that this court has jurisdiction over "The entire State of Chhattisgarh". This report details the changes, their likely rationale, and potential impact. **2. Introduction:** The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the amendment to Notification S.O. 372E, dated February 5, 2016, as published in the Gazette of India on May 23, 2025. The analysis is based solely on the provided policy text and aims to inform affected parties about the specific changes and their potential implications. **3. Policy Overview:** * **Original Policy Being Amended:** Notification S.O. 372E, dated February 5, 2016, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, section 3, subsection ii. * **Core Objective(s) (Inferred):** The original policy, based on its context within the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002, likely aims to designate specific courts to handle cases related to money laundering offenses, thereby ensuring efficient judicial processing of such cases. **4. Background and Rationale:** The amendment likely addresses the need to streamline or consolidate jurisdiction for Prevention of Money-laundering Act (PMLA) cases within Chhattisgarh. The change suggests a potential restructuring of judicial responsibilities, possibly due to workload imbalances, administrative efficiency considerations, or a desire to centralize expertise in PMLA cases within a specific court. The provided text does not explicitly state the reason, but the amendment points to a change in the allocation of judicial authority. **5. Key Provisions / Changes:** This amendment specifically alters the designated court for PMLA cases in Chhattisgarh, as defined in the Table within Notification S.O. 372E. * **Specific Part of Original Policy Changed:** The entries in columns 3 and 4 of the Table within Notification S.O. 372E, against serial number 5 relating to the State of Chhattisgarh. * **New Rule/Provision:** The entries "Court of VI Additional Sessions, Judge, Raipur." and "The entire State of Chhattisgarh." are substituted for the previous entries in columns 3 and 4, respectively. * **Difference/Effect of Change:** The amendment centralizes jurisdiction for PMLA cases from across Chhattisgarh to the Court of VI Additional Sessions Judge, Raipur. Previously, other courts might have had jurisdiction, but now the specified court in Raipur has authority over the entire state with respect to PMLA cases. This means all new PMLA cases, and potentially ongoing ones (depending on directives outside this text), would be handled by this single court. **6. Target Audience and Stakeholders:** The primary target audience and stakeholders affected by this amendment include: * **Individuals and entities involved in alleged money laundering activities within Chhattisgarh:** They will now be subject to the jurisdiction of the specified court in Raipur. * **Legal professionals practicing in Chhattisgarh:** They need to be aware of the change in jurisdictional rules for PMLA cases. * **Law enforcement agencies:** Agencies investigating money laundering cases in Chhattisgarh will need to file cases in the designated court. * **The Court of VI Additional Sessions Judge, Raipur:** The court will experience a change in caseload and potentially require additional resources. **7. Implementation Aspects (Inferred):** * **Responsible Agency/Bodies:** The Central Government, specifically the Department of Revenue within the Ministry of Finance, is responsible for issuing the amendment. The Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh was consulted. The Court of VI Additional Sessions Judge, Raipur is responsible for hearing the PMLA cases in Chhattisgarh. * **Timelines or Procedures:** The notification is effective immediately upon publication (May 23, 2025). No specific transition procedures are outlined in the text, suggesting immediate application of the new jurisdictional rule. Any procedures regarding the transfer of existing cases from other courts would likely be governed by separate directives. **8. Expected Outcomes / Impact of Changes:** The likely intended outcomes and impact of this amendment include: * **Centralized Expertise:** Concentrating PMLA cases in a single court may lead to the development of specialized expertise among the judges and staff of that court. * **Increased Efficiency:** Centralization could streamline case processing and reduce inconsistencies in legal interpretations. * **Potential Backlog:** The Court of VI Additional Sessions Judge, Raipur, may experience a temporary increase in caseload. **9. Conclusion:** The amendment to Notification S.O. 372E, dated February 5, 2016, represents a significant change in the jurisdictional framework for PMLA cases in Chhattisgarh. By centralizing jurisdiction in the Court of VI Additional Sessions Judge, Raipur, the amendment aims to improve the efficiency and consistency of judicial proceedings related to money laundering offenses. Stakeholders, particularly legal professionals and those involved in financial transactions within Chhattisgarh, should be aware of these changes and their potential impact.

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