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Tamil Nadu: An Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer was arrested after he was caught allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a government employee in Dindigul of Tamil Nadu, has been sent to judicial custoday till December 15.
He was earlier produced before judicial magistrate in Dindigul. He was arrested by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption. The officer, identified as Ankit Tiwari, has been sent to judicial custody till December 15.
Ankit Tiwari, along with his team of ED officers had been threatening several people and receiving bribes in the name of closing their case in Enforcement Directorate. After his arrest, searches were carried out by the Dindigul district Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) at the ED’s Madurai office.
Ankit Tiwari’s residence was also searched by the officials. DVAC also held search at the ED Office in Madurai, the Tamil Nadu police informed. Investigation into the case showed that more officers from Madurai and Chennai were involved in this case, sources said.
Ankit Tiwari was allegedly blackmailing many people and taking bribes worth crores of rupees from them. Sources said he was also distributing bribes to other ED officials. Sources said some documents have also been seized from them and more ED officials may be searched in Madurai and Chennai offices in connection with the case.
On October 29, Ankit Tiwari had allegedly contacted a Dindigul government employee in connection with a DVAC case against him, which had been closed. He told the employee that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has asked the ED to investigate the matter.
Ankit Tiwari also asked the employee to appear at the ED office in Madurai on October 30 for further investigation. The day the employee reached the office, the ED officer allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 3 crore from him to close the investigation.
He later told the employee that he had spoken to senior officials and agreed to reduce the bribe amount to Rs 51 lakh. On November 1, the government employee had reportedly given the first installment of Rs 20 lakh to the ED officer.
The ED officer later asked him to pay the entire amount, adding that the amount was to be shared among higher officials. He also threatened the government employee with serious action if payment was not made. Suspicious of Ankit Tiwari’s demands, the government employee filed a complaint against him at the Dindigul unit of DVAC on November 30.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Ankit misused his powers as an ED officer and a case was registered against him by the DVAC. On Friday, December 1, Ankit Tiwari was caught red-handed allegedly taking the second installment of Rs 20 lakh from a government employee.
