The Delhi High Court has ruled that profits generated from bribe money invested in the stock market constitute proceeds of crime and fall within the ambit of the offence of money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

A division bench of Justice Anil Kshetarpal and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar , in its November 3 judgment , observed that any appreciation in value of illegally acquired assets “does not cleanse or purify the tainted origin,” since the augmented value is inextricably and indirectly derived from the original illicit source of bribe .

The bench clarified that money laundering is a continuing offence that extends beyond the initial criminal acquisition.

“The offence of money laundering being continuing in nature is not confined only t

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