Mahesh Joshi v. Directorate of Enforcement; 2025 INSC 1377 - PMLA - Bail - Delay In Trial

Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA)Section 45 - Bail - Where a trial cannot be reasonably concluded and incarceration becomes prolonged,  constitutional courts must intervene to safeguard the right to personal liberty under Article 21- Section 45(1)(ii) of the PMLA cannot be interpreted to justify indefinite detention in cases involving voluminous, document-heavy material where trial is unlikely to begin promptly. [Referred to V. Senthil Balaji vs Deputy Director, Directorate of Enforcement 2024 INSC 739 ] (Para 13)

Case Info


Key Details

  • Case Name: Mahesh Joshi v. Directorate of Enforcement
  • Neutral Citation: 2025 INSC 1377
  • Coram: Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih
  • Judgment Date: December 03, 2025
  • Case Number: Criminal Appeal No. of 2025 (arising out of SLP (Crl.) No.13737 of 2025)

Caselaws and Citations

  • V. Senthil Balaji v. Deputy Director, Directorate of Enforcement, 2024 SCC OnLine SC 2626
  • K.A. Najeeb, (2021) 3 SCC 713

Statutes / Laws Referred

  • Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) — notably Section 45(1) and Section 45(1)(ii)
  • Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 207
  • Constitution of India — Article 21
  • Reference to scheduled offences under the NDPS Act (for sentence comparison)