CHENNAI: In a major development, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Tamil Nadu’s anti-corruption watchdog, conducted a raid at the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) office in Madurai. This action follows the arrest of a senior officer from the central agency, Ankit Tiwari.

The arrest took place on the Dindigul-Madurai highway by the Madurai branch of the state police’s DVAC. Ankit Tiwari was apprehended shortly after he allegedly accepted a bribe of ₹20 lakhs from an individual.

An official statement released by the DVAC revealed that Tiwari had contacted a government employee, who happened to be a doctor, regarding a disproportionate assets case registered against him. The case was subsequently disposed of. Tiwari informed the employee that the Prime Minister’s Office had instructed the ED to conduct an inquiry into the matter and asked him to appear before the ED office in Madurai on October 30.

Upon the doctor’s arrival in Madurai, Tiwari entered his car and demanded an initial sum of ₹3 crores as bribe. However, he later reduced the amount to ₹51 lakhs. “On 01.11.2023, the said employee had given him ₹20 lakhs as the first instalment of the bribe. Later, he intimidated the employee through WhatsApp calls and messages, threatening dire consequences if the full amount of ₹51 lakhs was not paid,” stated the DVAC.

Following the doctor’s complaint, the DVAC arrested Tiwari. However, an inquiry will also be conducted to determine if other officials from the ED were involved in the bribery case.

This move by the DVAC comes amidst the ED’s ongoing investigations into various cases initiated by the agency against current ministers and officials from the previous government. On June 14, the central agency arrested Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in connection with an alleged money laundering case. Additionally, just last week, the DMK filed a petition with the Madras High Court against the ED’s summons to ten district collectors as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in the mining and sale of river sand in Tamil Nadu.