MADURAI: Anti-corruption agencies of DMK-governed Tamil Nadu and the Centre locked horns in Dindigul Friday when state vigilance officials arrested an ED officer for allegedly collecting a Rs 20lakh bribe from a government doctor by threatening to reopen an old case.
The officer, identified as Ankit Tiwari and attached to the ED’s Madurai office, was remanded by a court later in the evening.A statement by TN’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) said Tiwari had extorted crores from people and distributed it to other officials of ED in Madurai and Chennai. The statement indicated it may conduct raids in other places, including the Chennai ED office.
Friday’s dramatic arrest came at a time when ED is probing DMK leaders and CM MK Stalin has accused the BJP-led Centre of using central agencies as a tool to browbeat political rivals.
The DVAC statement said that in 2018, it had filed a disproportionate wealth case against the Dindigul doctor, Suresh Babu. After an inquiry, he was released. DVAC officials said Babu received a call from an ED official recently stating that the agency planned to reopen the case. He allegedly demanded Rs 3 crore for not reopening the case, but closed the deal at Rs 51lakh.
The officer, identified as Ankit Tiwari and attached to the ED’s Madurai office, was remanded by a court later in the evening.A statement by TN’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) said Tiwari had extorted crores from people and distributed it to other officials of ED in Madurai and Chennai. The statement indicated it may conduct raids in other places, including the Chennai ED office.
Friday’s dramatic arrest came at a time when ED is probing DMK leaders and CM MK Stalin has accused the BJP-led Centre of using central agencies as a tool to browbeat political rivals.
The DVAC statement said that in 2018, it had filed a disproportionate wealth case against the Dindigul doctor, Suresh Babu. After an inquiry, he was released. DVAC officials said Babu received a call from an ED official recently stating that the agency planned to reopen the case. He allegedly demanded Rs 3 crore for not reopening the case, but closed the deal at Rs 51lakh.