The finance ministry has amended the Prevention of Money Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005, via a issued notification yesterday, extending the date for submitting Aadhaar by existing account holders to financial entities till a date to be notified after the final judgement in the petition challenging Aadhaar pending before the Supreme Court . This follows the interim order, dated 13th March, 2018 of the SC in the Aadhaar case, which extended the last date for linking Aadhaar with existing bank accounts from 31.03.2018 till the final judgement of the case. As per the existing rules relating to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act , account holders had to submit to specified financial entities their Aadhaar number by March 31, 2018. This essentially implies that submission of Aadhaar number by existing account holders to all financial institutions specified in the PMLA rules stands extended till further orders.According to the rules, in case a client, eligible to be enrolled for Aadhaar and obtain a Permanent Account Number (as specified elsewhere in these rules) does not submit the Aadhaar number or the Permanent Account Number when opening his/her account with a reporting entity, the client shall submit the same within a period of six months from the date of the commencement of the account based relationship. Where the clients, eligible to be enrolled for Aadhaar and obtain the Permanent Account Number, already have an account based relationship with reporting entities the client shall submit the Aadhaar number and Permanent Account Number by March 31, 2018.In case the client fails to submit the Aadhaar number and Permanent Account Number within the aforesaid six months period, the said account shall cease to be operational till the time the Aadhaar number and Permanent Account Number is submitted by the client. Where the client already having an account based relationship with reporting entities prior to date of this notification fails to submit the Aadhaar number and Permanent Account Number by March 31, 2018, the said account shall cease to be operational till the time the Aadhaar number and Permanent Account Number is submitted by the client.The notification issued yesterday states: “In pursuance of clause (a) and clause (c) of sub-rule (17) of rule 9 of the Prevention of Money Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005, the Central Government hereby extends the date of submission of Aadhaar Number, and Permanent Account Number or Form 60 by the clients to the reporting entity till a date to be notified subsequent to pronouncement of final judgement in W.P. (C) 494/2012 etc.”