Tamil Nadu's anti-corruption cops raid ED office after officer's arrest
Tamil Nadu's anti-corruption watchdog, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), on Friday conducted a raid at the Enforcement Directorate's Madurai office following the arrest of a senior officer of the central agency identified as Ankit Tiwari.
The arrest was made by the Madurai branch of the state police's DVAC on the Dindigul-Madurai highway shortly after Tiwari allegedly received a ?20 lakh bribe from an individual.
An official statement from the DVAC said Tiwari contacted a government employee, a doctor, and mentioned in a disproportionate assets case which was registered against him and subsequently disposed of. Tiwari allegedly informed the employee that instructions had been received from the Prime Minister's Office to conduct an inquiry by the ED in the case and asked him to appear before the ED office in Madurai on October 30.
When the doctor went to Madurai, the DVAC said, Tiwari got into his car and sought Rs 3 crore initially but later brought down the amount to Rs 51 lakh.
«On 01.11.2023, the said employee had given him Rs 20 lakh as first instalment of bribe. Later, he 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,» the statement said.
The doctor then lodged a complaint with the DVAC, after which he was arrested.
However, the DVAC said an inquiry would also be conducted to ascertain if there was any involvement of other ED officials.
The DVAC's move comes amid the ED's investigations into several cases that the agency had initiated under the previous government against current ministers and officials. On June 14, the central agency arrested Tamil Nadu
