About Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR):
- The ECIR is a formal entry of the complaint lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
- It serves as a starting point for ED's proceedings, including the attachment of assets and arrests.
- There is no mention of the ECIR in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA Act) or Rules.
- However, as per the practice of ED, the ECIR is lodged before taking any action under the PMLA Act.
- The ECIR under the PMLA Act is similar to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the Police for cognizable offences.
- However, the Supreme Court held that ECIR cannot be equated with an FIR.
- As per the ED, ECIR is a document meant for the identification of a particular case and for departmental convenience and is purely an internal document.
- ED is not legally bound to provide a copy of the ECIR to the accused.
