Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani to appear for questioning on November 14 in connection with a high-profile money laundering case tied to alleged bank loan fraud involving the State Bank of India (SBI).
Sources confirmed that the 66-year-old industrialist is expected to record his statement under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Ambani had previously been questioned by the federal agency in August this year in connection with the same probe.
The ED’s investigation stems from alleged irregularities in loans extended to group companies under the Reliance Communications Limited (RCOM) banner. In a significant move, the agency recently attached assets valued at over ₹7,500 crore, marking a major step in its probe into what it describes as a “bank fraud-cum-money laundering network.”
According to officials, the ED has so far issued five provisional attachment orders, freezing a total of 42 properties, including Anil Ambani’s residence in Mumbai’s Pali Hill and multiple residential and commercial assets belonging to group entities. The most recent order, issued on November 4, pertains to the 32-acre Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC) in Navi Mumbai, worth approximately ₹4,462 crore.
Despite the tightening probe, the Reliance Group has maintained that the ED’s actions will not affect its listed companies’ ongoing operations. In a statement, the group clarified that a majority of the attached assets belong to Reliance Communications Ltd., which is under the management of a Resolution Professional (RP) and Committee of Creditors (CoC) led by SBI as part of ongoing insolvency proceedings.
