Government Elevates 11 ED Cadre Officers to Joint Director Rank

NEW DELHI, May 29: In a significant development, the Centre has elevated 11 Enforcement Directorate (ED) cadre officers to the rank of Joint Director (JD) within the federal anti-money laundering agency. This move marks the first instance where such a large number of cadre officers have been promoted to the JD level simultaneously, indicating the importance of this position in the realm of investigations, according to official sources.

While cadre officers have been appointed to the JD post in the past, it was typically limited to one or two positions only, the sources explained. However, the recent order issued by the Department of Revenue under the Union Finance Ministry on Tuesday announced the promotion of 11 officers from the Deputy Director to the JD rank.

The Joint Director position holds significant administrative responsibility within the ED, overseeing investigations related to money laundering and foreign exchange contravention. With more than 30 JD posts distributed across 27 zonal offices nationwide, this promotion contributes to strengthening the agency’s investigative capabilities.

Currently, only three ED cadre officers hold the JD rank, with the majority of positions occupied by officers from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) on deputation. The Enforcement Directorate, a federal probe agency, is mandated to investigate financial crimes under three key legislations: the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), and the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA).