In a recent development, Ankit Tiwari, an officer from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has been taken into custody by the Tamil Nadu Police. It is alleged that Tiwari, a 2016 batch officer, accepted a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a doctor in Dindigul district. Tiwari and his team are facing accusations of intimidating individuals and soliciting bribes by falsely promising to close cases at the Enforcement Directorate.
The DVAC officials discovered Tiwari in possession of a substantial amount of cash, totalling Rs 20 lakh, in Dindigul. This revelation follows a series of ED raids on DMK leaders and their associates, which also resulted in the arrest of former minister V. Senthil Balaji for his involvement in a cash-for-jobs scam.
Tiwari's alleged bribery racket raises additional concerns about corruption within the ED. The DVAC is presently conducting an investigation into the matter, including searches carried out at the ED Office in Madurai.
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
This incident is in line with a series of actions taken against central agency officers. In November, two officials from the ED were arrested on charges of bribery by Rajasthan's Anti-Corruption Bureau. Furthermore, the state government's decision to challenge the ED summons in the Madras High Court regarding alleged irregularities in the mining and sale of river sand adds an additional layer of complexity to the situation.
In light of these recent developments, legal experts indicate that the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in Tamil Nadu may have the authority to apprehend an ED officer based on allegations of bribery, especially considering the State Government's withdrawal of General Consent to CBI. Furthermore, the ruling of the Kerala High Court emphasizes that there is no hindrance preventing State law enforcement from investigating corruption cases involving employees of the Central Government.
Kerala HC in a 2023 judgment has held as follows:
“There is no special provision in the P.C Act or DSPE Act excluding or preventing the State police or a Special Agency of the State from investigating cases relating to the corruption of the Central Government employees. None of… pic.twitter.com/yoV41Nr7VC— Arvind Gunasekar (@arvindgunasekar) December 1, 2023
In view of these serious allegations, there has not yet been any official response from ED officials. The ongoing investigation is providing insight into the difficulties faced in upholding honesty within law enforcement agencies. The key points to focus on in this situation are the "Enforcement Directorate," "bribery," "DVAC investigation," and "corruption allegations." As this situation continues to develop, it emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability within government institutions in order to uphold the principles of the rule of law.
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