In a significant escalation of its money-laundering investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani’s 17-storey Mumbai residence, ‘Abode’, valued at approximately Rs 3,716.83 crore. The action forms part of an ongoing probe into alleged financial irregularities linked to Reliance Communications (RCOM) and suspected bank fraud involving companies associated with the Reliance Anil Ambani Group. With this attachment, the total value of assets provisionally seized in the case has risen to nearly Rs 15,700 crore.
The provisional attachment order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and pertains to the luxury 66-metre-tall property located in Mumbai’s upscale Pali Hill locality. Officials indicated that Ambani is expected to appear before the agency in Delhi for further questioning. He had earlier recorded his statement with the ED in August 2025 as part of the same investigation.
The action stems from a broader inquiry into alleged loan diversion and financial misconduct connected to Reliance Communications. The ED’s probe follows two FIRs filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation alleging cheating, bribery and misuse of public funds by entities linked to the group. Investigators have conducted searches at more than 35 locations associated with group companies and executives, covering over 50 corporate entities and involving the questioning of more than 25 individuals across Mumbai and Delhi.
According to officials, preliminary findings suggest that companies linked to Ambani may have diverted loans worth around Rs 3,000 crore obtained from Yes Bank between 2017 and 2019. Investigators are examining whether funds were routed through shell companies and subsequently round-tripped. The probe is also scrutinising alleged irregularities such as back-dated credit approval documents, sanctioning of loans without proper due diligence, and disbursal of funds prior to formal approvals. Authorities are further exploring a possible quid-pro-quo arrangement, with claims that entities connected to Yes Bank promoters received payments shortly before loan sanctions were granted.
Reliance Home Finance Ltd (RHFL) has also come under examination after market regulator Sebi flagged a sharp surge in corporate lending, which rose from Rs 3,742.60 crore in FY 2017–18 to Rs 8,670.80 crore in FY 2018–19. Investigators are assessing whether this increase formed part of a wider loan diversion mechanism involving expedited approvals and lending to related parties.
The enforcement action follows State Bank of India declaring Reliance Communications and Anil Ambani as “fraud” under Reserve Bank of India guidelines, citing exposures exceeding Rs 3,000 crore, including loans and bank guarantees. The bank has reported the matter to the RBI and is preparing to file a formal complaint with the CBI. Meanwhile, RCOM remains under insolvency proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal, and personal insolvency proceedings against Ambani have also been initiated under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
In response, Reliance Power and Reliance Infrastructure issued statements clarifying that they are independent listed entities with no operational or financial linkage to RCOM or RHFL. The companies emphasised that Ambani does not hold board positions in either firm and stated that actions taken against RCOM or RHFL do not affect their governance or business operations.
With the attachment of the ‘Abode’ property, the investigation has entered a more advanced phase, placing both personal assets and corporate financial transactions under heightened regulatory scrutiny as authorities continue to examine the alleged flow and utilisation of borrowed funds.
