Tamil Nadu: Madras High Court denies bail to arrested ED officer

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 21 : The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer Ankit Tiwari who was arrested by Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sleuths in connection with an alleged bribe case.
The ED officer was arrested by the Tamil Nadu DVAC for allegedly accepting Rs 20 lakh bribe from a government doctor threatening to reopen a case against him.
Earlier this month, officials said that the ED officer was caught "red-handed" while accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a doctor in the Dindigul district.
According to officials, Ankit Tiwari, along with his team of ED officers, had been threatening several people and receiving bribes in the name of closing their case in the Enforcement Directorate.
DVAC officials caught him with Rs 20 lakh cash in Dindigul. The DVAC also held a search at the ED Office in Madurai.
"An investigation is being probed to elucidate whether he blackmailed or threatened any other officials adopting this modus operandi and collected money in the name of the ED," the DAVC said.
According to an official release issued by DVAC Chennai, Ankit Tiwari is serving as an enforcement officer in the Madurai Enforcement Department office of the Union government.
"On October 29, 2023, he contacted a government employee from Dindigul and mentioned a case registered against him in the Dindigul Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department, which was already disposed of," the DVAC said in its release.
Further, Ankit Tiwari informed the employee that instructions had been received from the Prime Minister's Office to conduct an inquiry by the Enforcement Department in this case and asked the government employee to appear before the Enforcement Directorate office in Madurai on October 30, 2023.
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 a bribe. On November 1, 2023, the said employee gave him Rs 20 lakh as the first instalment of a bribe.
Later, he intimidated the employee on several occasions through calls and text messages that he should pay the full amount of Rs 51 lakh, otherwise, he would face dire consequences.
Having suspiciou over his activities, the government employee complained to the Dindigul district Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Unit on November 30, 2023.
On the morning of November 1, 2023, the sleuths of V&AC caught Ankit Tiwari after he had received Rs 20 lakh as a bribe from the complainant. Subsequently, he was arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Further details are awaited.