In a major development, an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, has been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh. The officer, identified as Ankit Tiwari, was investigating a case involving a government doctor in the neighboring Dindigul district. It is believed that Tiwari demanded a bribe of Rs 1 crore to drop the case.
The arrest took place after a high-speed car chase, during which authorities laid a trap for Tiwari. He was apprehended after receiving the first installment of the alleged bribe – Rs 20 lakh – at a drop-off point on a state highway. This incident marks the first time that an ED officer has been arrested in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, there is an ongoing dispute between the state government and the central investigative agency. The ED had issued summons to five district collectors as part of a probe into alleged money laundering linked to illegal sand mining. However, the Madras High Court has stayed the summons for three weeks, providing some relief to Chief Minister MK Stalin’s administration.
The state government argued that the ED does not have the authority to make such demands and that the agency’s summons to the five collectors goes against the principles of federalism. They also stated that the central agency should seek such information through the state government and cannot conduct an inquiry without its consent.
In response to the ED’s claims of corruption, the DMK’s mouthpiece, Murasoli, accused the BJP of using the agency to tarnish the party’s image. The newspaper questioned the basis of the alleged corruption figures and demanded proof.
According to the ED, an expert from the Indian Institute of Technology conducted a survey that revealed illegal sand mining worth Rs 4,500 crore had taken place in Tamil Nadu over a span of two years.
This news comes amidst the availability of NDTV on WhatsApp channels, offering users the latest updates from the media outlet.
