New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Monday opened an inquiry into money-laundering charges brought against its officer Ankit Tiwari by the Tamil Nadu police.
The central agency has registered an Enforcement Complaint Information Report (ECIR) against Tiwari, who was jailed in the southern state on 1 December after allegedly being caught red-handed accepting a bribe from a government employee in Dindigul.
Tiwari and his team had allegedly demanded bribes from several individuals to close their ED-related cases. He was posted in the ED’s Madurai sub-zonal office.
The ECIR was prompted by an FIR lodged against Tiwari by the DMK-led state’s Directorate of Vigilance and Corruption (DVAC) — the agency that took him into custody.
Meanwhile, the Madurai police has filed another case against ED officers for allegedly obstructing DVAC officers from searching Tiwari’s office.
Sources in the Madurai police told ThePrint that the case was registered at Tallakulam police station Saturday, based on a complaint from the DVAC. The police have also summoned the assistant director of the enforcement agency at its Madurai sub-zonal office.
DVAC raids on ED
The day the DVAC arrested Tiwari, its officers raided the ED’s Madurai office for nearly 13 hours.
In response, ED Assistant Director (Madurai sub-zonal office) Brijesh Beniwal filed a complaint with Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Shankar Jiwal on 4 December, calling the raid “illegal”. “The search was conducted in an unprofessional and illegal manner,” he said.
The complaint further alleged that the raiding team failed to produce ID cards or search warrant documents, adding: “Various sensitive case records (and) files related to matters other than the case basis were verified by them.”
ThePrint has learnt that no action has been taken by the DGP on Beniwal’s complaint.
Meanwhile, Tiwari will continue to remain in prison as the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has denied him bail.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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