Video: ED Officer Caught Taking Rs 20 Lakh Bribe By Vigilance Sleuths In Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul, Arrested

An Enforcement Directorate Officer, Ankit Tiwari,was arrested by DVAC sleuths after he was caught taking a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a doctor in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu News: Vigilance sleuths arrested an Enforcement Directorate officer after he was caught ‘red-handed’ while taking a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a doctor in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district. According to the police, an ED officer, identified as Ankit Tiwari, was caught by officials of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) while demanding and accepting a Rs 20 lakh bribe from a doctor in an unspecified case.

“ED officer Ankit Tiwari was ‘caught red handed’ by DVAC sleuths after he received Rs 20 lakh bribe money from the doctor,” police sources said on Friday, according to a PTI report.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu | ED officer Ankit Tiwari taken from the DVAC office to be produced before a judicial magistrate in Dindigul.

He was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakhs from a doctor in Dindigul. He along with his team of ED officers had been… pic.twitter.com/F8JTReQnQq

— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2023

The matter in connection with which the ED officer allegedly accepted the bribe is not known immediately. The action was taken after the doctor preferred a complaint with the DVAC and Tiwari is currently being questioned by the DVAC sleuths, sources added.

According to official press release by the DVAC, Tiwari,– who was posted at the ED office in Madurai–  contacted the doctor and told him that a case has been registered against him at the vigilance department but has been disposed off.

The accused officer claimed that the ED had received instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to conduct an enquiry in the said case and asked him to appear at the agency’s Madurai office on October 30.

“Accordingly, when the Government employee went to Madurai, Ankit Tiwari got into the Government employee’s car and negotiated that he should pay Rs.3 crore to avert legal action in the case. Later, he said that he had spoken to his superiors and as per their directions, he agreed to collect Rs.51 lakh as bribe,” the release said, adding that on November 1, the doctor paid him Rs 20 lakhs as first installment of the bribe.

“Later, Tiwari intimidated the employee on several occasions through WhatsApp calls and text messages that he should pay the full amount of Rs. 51 lakh, otherwise he would face dire consequences. Having suspicion over his activities, the Government Employee lodged a complaint at the Dindigul district Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Unit on 30.11.2023,” it said.

“Today (01.12.2023) morning, the sleuths of V&AC caught Ankit Tiwari after he had received Rs.20 lakhs as bribe from the complainant. Subsequently, he was arrested at 10.30hrs under Prevention of Corruption Act,” the release added.

The DVAC, as per the release, said that its sleuths seized several incriminating documents from the accused officer.

VIDEO | ED official Ankit Tiwari, arrested by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in a bribery case earlier today, was produced before Dindigul Principal Judicial Magistrate Mohana. Tiwari has been remanded in judicial custody for 15 days. pic.twitter.com/BrX4UF8rfL

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 1, 2023

“Investigation is being done to elucidate whether he had blackmailed / threatened any other officials adopting this modus-operandi and collected crores of money in the name of Enforcement Directorate. Enquiry will also be conducted to ascertain the involvement of other ED officials in the plot if any.”

After he was taken into custody in Dindigul, a team of  DVAC officials held ‘enquiries’ at the sub-zone ED office in Madurai, with state policemen standing guard outside the central government office.

Citing sources in the DVAC– a special anti-corruption unit of the Tamil Nadu police, the report said that searches were conducted at a premises linked to the accused officer.

“Our sleuths are conducting searches at the residence of Ankit Tiwari and his Enforcement Directorate office at Madurai. Further searches will be conducted at the places associated with Ankit Tiwari,” the anti-corruption agency said in a statement.

VIDEO | Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption raided the ED office in Madurai earlier today in connection with the case of Ankit Tiwari, an ED officer, who has been arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe. pic.twitter.com/OB5Tu9tUk9

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 1, 2023

After the arrival of DVAC sleuths at the office of the central agency, Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel were deployed by authorities inside the ED office as a ‘security’ measure.

The presence of the state police and the Central police force (ITBP, under the Central Armed Police Forces) at the same time led to a flutter for a while in the Madurai neighbourhood.

Following his arrest by the DVAC, Ankit Tiwari was produced before Dindigul Principal Judicial Magistrate Mohana who remanded the accused to 15 days in judicial custody.