An Enforcement Directorate officer in Tamil Nadu was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh. The officer, identified as Ankit Tiwari, was apprehended by state vigilance and anti-corruption authorities and has been remanded in judicial custody until December 15. Pragati Pal reported
Last Updated: December 02, 2023, 08:19 IST
In a recent development, an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer named Ankit Tiwari was apprehended by the Tamil Nadu police for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a government employee in Dindigul. Ankit Tiwari was subsequently arrested by the state vigilance and anti-corruption department and has been remanded in judicial custody until December 15.
The arrest of Ankit Tiwari, the ED officer, came after an 8-kilometer chase. The Dindigul district Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) conducted raids at the ED’s Madurai office and the officer’s residence for a duration of 13 hours. During the search, the DVAC team seized several incriminating documents that could potentially be used as evidence in the case.
According to sources, the investigation into the case revealed that multiple officers from Madurai and Chennai may be involved in the bribery scandal. It has been alleged that Ankit Tiwari had been blackmailing numerous individuals and extorting crores of rupees from them. Furthermore, he was suspected of distributing the bribes to other ED officials.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption stated that Tiwari had demanded a sum of Rs 3 crore from a government official in order to avoid legal action in a previously settled case. In October, Tiwari contacted a government employee from Dindigul and informed him about a Vigilance case that had supposedly been resolved. He then claimed that the Prime Minister’s Office had issued instructions to conduct an inquiry and asked the employee to appear at the ED office in Madurai. Upon arrival, Tiwari demanded a bribe of Rs 3 crore to prevent any legal consequences.
Later, Tiwari revised the amount and agreed to collect a bribe of Rs 51 lakh, claiming that it was in accordance with his superiors’ instructions. On November 1, the employee handed over Rs 20 lakh as the first installment of the bribe. Tiwari proceeded to intimidate the employee through WhatsApp calls and messages, threatening dire consequences if the full amount was not paid.
The government employee grew suspicious and reported the matter to the Dindigul district Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Unit. On Friday, DVAC sleuths caught Ankit Tiwari red-handed as he received Rs 20 lakh as part of the bribe. He was subsequently arrested at 10.30 am under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Ankit Tiwari, a 2016-batch officer, had previously served in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh before being posted in Madurai, according to reports.
In conclusion, the arrest of Ankit Tiwari, an Enforcement Directorate officer, in Tamil Nadu has revealed a complex bribery scandal involving multiple officers. Tiwari’s alleged involvement in blackmailing and extorting bribes worth crores raises questions about corruption within the ED. The ongoing investigation by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption will shed further light on the extent of this illegal activity and the potential involvement of other officials..