The PIL alleged systematic diversion of public funds, fabrication of financial statements and institutional complicity across multiple entities of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance ADAG. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The Supreme Court on Friday (January 23, 2026) issued fresh notices to Anil Ambani and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) on a PIL seeking a court-monitored probe into alleged massive banking and corporate fraud involving the firm and its group companies.
The top court asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, to file status reports in sealed cover in ten days on their ongoing probes into the alleged fraud.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the fact that Anil Ambani and the ADAG had already been served with the notices of the PIL filed by petitioner and former Union secretary E.A.S. Sarma.
On November 18, last year, the Bench issued notices to the Centre, CBI, ED, Anil Ambani and ADAG on the PIL.
The Bench said it was granting the last opportunity to Anil Ambani and the ADAG to appear and file their responses in the case.
The Bench asked the Bombay High Court’s Registrar General to ensure service of notices on Anil Ambani and the ADAG and file a compliance report.
The Bench then fixed the plea for hearing after 10 days.
Earlier, the Bench took note of the submissions made by lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner Sarma, and sought the replies of the parties within three weeks. The Bench posted the PIL for further hearing after three weeks.
Mr. Bhushan alleged that the probe agencies are not investigating the alleged complicity of banks and their officials in the huge banking fraud.
He sought a direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file respective status reports with regard to the probe against banks and their officials in the case.
Mr. Bhushan submitted that the instant case is “probably the largest corporate fraud in India’s history”.
The FIR was registered in 2025 though the fraud was going on since 2007-08, the lawyer alleged.
“We want a status report from the ED and the CBI on what they are investigating. Clearly, they are not probing the collusion by the banks,” he said.
The PIL alleged systematic diversion of public funds, fabrication of financial statements and institutional complicity across multiple entities of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance ADAG. It said the FIR registered by the CBI on August 21, along with the connected ED proceedings, addresses merely a small segment of the alleged fraud.
Published – January 23, 2026 02:01 pm IST
