BUSINESS DESK: Anil Ambani Assets Worth ₹3,000 Cr Attached
India’s business landscape just got a jolt. The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally seized assets worth Rs.3,084 crore tied to Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group, spotlighting a deepening money laundering probe.
This bold step, announced on November 3, 2025, follows months of scrutiny into alleged fund diversions that have ensnared banks and investors alike.
The attachments hit close to home, quite literally. They include Ambani’s iconic Pali Hill residence in Mumbai, a symbol of the group’s once-unrivaled stature.
Spread across major cities, these seizures target a mix of prime real estate and commercial holdings, underscoring the probe’s reach into the heart of corporate India.
Assets in the Crosshairs
Official records detail over 40 properties now under ED’s provisional hold, issued on October 31 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
These span residential flats, office spaces, and land parcels, painting a picture of widespread exposure.
Key locations and highlights include:
- Mumbai: Ambani’s family home in upscale Pali Hill, plus group-owned units in Thane and Pune.
- Delhi-NCR: Reliance Centre land on Maharaja Ranjit Singh Marg, plus assets in Noida and Ghaziabad.
- Southern hubs: 29 Chennai flats valued at Rs 109.6 crore, alongside holdings in Hyderabad and East Godavari.
- Other sites: Scattered commercial plots in Kancheepuram, reflecting the group’s national footprint.
This net captures the tangible fallout from years of financial maneuvers gone awry.
Roots of the Probe
At its core, the case traces back to Central Bureau of Investigation FIRs alleging bank loan frauds totaling over Rs.17,000 crore.
Reliance entities like Infrastructure and Communications stand accused of siphoning funds through shell companies and evergreening loans, leaving lenders like Yes Bank with massive holes.
Between 2017 and 2019, Yes Bank poured Rs.5,010 crore into Reliance Home Finance and commercial finance instruments.
These soured into non-performing assets by late 2019, with Rs.3,337.50 crore still unpaid.
Investigators point to indirect routing via mutual funds, dodging SEBI’s conflict rules and funneling public money back to group firms.
A parallel thread involves Reliance Communications, where ED flags Rs 13,600 crore in diversions via connected-party deals and bill discounting tricks.
Such patterns, they argue, masked deeper laundering, eroding trust in the financial system.
Timeline of Escalation
The ED’s grip has tightened steadily, building on earlier red flags from regulators like SEBI and the National Housing Bank.
- July 24, 2025: Raids at 35 sites across 50 companies and 25 individuals, including Mumbai executives.
- August 2025: Ambani faces hours of questioning at ED headquarters; travel curbs imposed.
- September 2025: CBI chargesheet indicts Ambani in Yes Bank fraud, citing Rs.2,796 crore losses.
- October 31, 2025: Provisional attachment orders seal the assets’ fate.
These moves signal no letup, with ED vowing to chase every laundered rupee for public recovery.
Market Ripples and Road Ahead
Word of the seizures triggered immediate tremors. Reliance Infrastructure shares dipped nearly 5% to Rs 204, while Power and Communications stocks shed 1-2% in early trading.
Investors, already wary of the group’s debt-laden past, now brace for prolonged uncertainty.
As the probe unfolds, questions swirl: Will this force a reckoning in corporate lending practices? Or deepen divides between big business and regulators? One thing’s clear: in India’s high-stakes financial arena, no empire stands untouchable.