Ankit Tiwari, a 2016-batch Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer, was apprehended by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in connection with a bribery case involving a substantial sum of ₹20 lakh. Tiwari, who was based in the Madurai Enforcement Department office, faces serious allegations of extorting money from individuals under the guise of closing cases within the Enforcement Directorate.
The DVAC officials disclosed that Tiwari and his team had been engaging in coercive tactics, threatening various individuals and accepting bribes to purportedly resolve cases pending in the Enforcement Directorate. The arrest took place in Dindigul, where Tiwari was caught red-handed accepting ₹20 lakh from a government doctor. Subsequently, DVAC officials conducted thorough searches at the ED sub-zonal office in Madurai throughout the night.
Ankit Tiwari, who has previously served in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, allegedly contacted a government doctor from Dindigul in October, claiming a vigilance case against him had been disposed of. Tiwari, misusing his position, informed the doctor that an inquiry was mandated by the Prime Minister’s Office. The DVAC contends that Tiwari coerced the doctor into paying ₹51 lakh to avoid legal consequences, ultimately receiving ₹20 lakh as the initial installment of the bribe.
The DVAC, in a statement, highlighted that the complainant, a government doctor, lodged a complaint with the Dindigul district Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Unit, leading to Tiwari’s arrest on Friday morning. The DVAC seized incriminating documents related to Tiwari’s alleged misconduct, raising concerns about whether he had similarly targeted other officials within the Enforcement Directorate.
Furthermore, the DVAC emphasized that an investigation is underway to determine if Tiwari had blackmailed or threatened other officials using a similar modus operandi to collect money in the name of the Enforcement Directorate. Searches are being conducted at Tiwari’s residence and his ED office in Madurai, with the DVAC stating that further investigations will explore places associated with the arrested ED officer.
The arrest of Ankit Tiwari unfolds against the backdrop of a political feud between the Tamil Nadu government and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government. The Tamil Nadu government has accused the Union government of utilizing the ED and Income Tax department to harass its officials and elected representatives in the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
As the investigation continues, questions loom over the extent of Tiwari’s activities and the potential involvement of other ED officials in similar misconduct. The DVAC’s efforts to probe this matter thoroughly will likely shed light on the depth of the alleged corruption within the Enforcement Directorate.
