Enforcement Directorate Seeks FIR Against Tamil Nadu Anti-Corruption Officials

The Enforcement Directorate’s regional office in Madurai has formally requested Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against officials from the state’s Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department. Brijesh Beniwal, an assistant director at the Enforcement Directorate’s Sub-Zonal Office in Madurai, alleged in the letter to the top police officer that the anti-corruption officials conducted an unauthorized search at the ED office, forcibly entered, and illicitly confiscated sensitive documents.

In the letter addressed to Tamil Nadu DGP Shankar Jiwal, the Enforcement Directorate sought the initiation of a case against the anti-corruption team, asserting that the searches were not only illegal but also carried out with malicious intent. The central agency accused the Tamil Nadu anti-corruption officials of “stealing various sensitive case records” and accessing case records without authorization, potentially compromising ongoing investigations.

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) officials from Tamil Nadu initiated searches at the Enforcement Directorate sub-zonal office in Madurai on Friday. The operation followed the arrest of ED officer Ankit Tiwari in connection with a bribery case. Tiwari, a 2016-batch officer posted in Madurai, was apprehended while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a doctor in the Dindigul district.

In the letter detailing the events, the ED official alleged that 35 individuals, claiming to be police personnel in civilian attire, along with media and a mob, forcefully entered the ED office without proper identification or a search warrant. The letter stated that despite repeated requests for identification, search authorization, and the purpose of their visit, the individuals remained uncooperative. The alleged misconduct included the unauthorized opening of case files unrelated to the ongoing investigation, intermittent locking of Ankit Tiwari’s room, ransacking of the ED office, and the dissemination of information.

The Enforcement Directorate emphasized the urgency of investigating the actions of the anti-corruption officials, contending that their conduct was not only a violation of legal procedures but also posed a threat to the integrity of sensitive investigations.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *