Ankit Tiwari, a 2016-batch officer serving in the Madurai Enforcement Department office of the Union government, has recently come into the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Tiwari, previously serving in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, was caught in a bribery scandal. Has this shaken the foundations of ED in Tamil Nadu?
The Bribery Allegations and Arrest:
According to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Tiwari, leveraging his position as an enforcement officer, had been allegedly threatening several individuals and accepting bribes under the guise of closing cases in the ED. The situation escalated when he was apprehended in Dindigul with ₹20 lakh cash, alleged to be a bribe. This led to further investigations and searches at the ED office in Madurai and Tiwari’s residence.
The Incident in Detail:
In October, Tiwari contacted a government employee from Dindigul, falsely informing him of a vigilance case and demanding a bribe of ₹3 crore, later negotiated down to ₹51 lakh. The government employee, who had given Tiwari ₹20 lakh as a first installment, lodged a complaint with the DVAC, leading to Tiwari’s arrest while receiving the bribe.
Tamil Nadu Govt vs ED:
The arrest of Ankit Tiwari comes amid allegations from the Tamil Nadu government against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government. The state government accuses the Centre of using agencies like the ED and the Income Tax Department to harass its officials and elected representatives, particularly in the context of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Consequences Afterwards:
Post his arrest, extensive searches were conducted at Tiwari’s residence and office. These searches revealed several incriminating documents, pointing to potential misconduct and abuse of authority. The DVAC is also investigating whether Tiwari had blackmailed or threatened other officials using similar methods.
Following the arrest, Ankit Tiwari was sent to judicial custody for 14 days. The DVAC continues its investigation to uncover the extent of Tiwari’s corrupt activities and to ascertain if other ED officials were involved in similar misconduct.
