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The Tamil Nadu Police produced Enforcement Directorate officer Ankit Tiwari, who was allegedly caught 'red-handed' while accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakhs from a doctor, before the judiciary magistrate in Dindigul.
Tiwari was taken to the judiciary magistrate on Tuesday after being arrested on December 2. The 2016-batch officer currently posted in Madurai was arrested after being chased on the Dindigul-Madurai highway for eight kilometres. According to a statement released by the DIPR Secretariat, Chennai Tiwari had on October 29 contacted a government doctor from Dindigul and mentioned a case registered against him in the Dindigul Vigilance and Anti Corruption Department, "which was already disposed off." "Further, Tiwari informed the employee that instructions had been received from the Prime Minister's Office to conduct an enquiry and asked the government doctor to appear before the ED office at Madurai on October 30," the DVAC statement read. When the doctor went to Madurai, Tiwari got into the doctor's car and asked him to pay Rs 3 crore to avert legal action in the case, the DVAC alleged. "Later, he said he had spoken to his superiors and as per their directions, he agreed to collect Rs 51 lakh as bribe," the DVAC said. DVAC further alleged that on November 1, the doctor had given Tiwari Rs 20 lakh as a first instalment of bribe. Later, he (Tiwari) intimidated the employee on several occasions through WhatsApp calls and text messages that he should pay the full amount of Rs 51 lakh, otherwise he would face dire consequences," the DVAC press release said. On November 30, the government doctor lodged a complaint at the Dindigul district Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Unit. Sleuths of DVAC caught Ankit Tiwari after he received Rs 20 lakh as a bribe from the complainant. Subsequently, he was arrested at 10.30 a.m. under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The sleuths also seized several incriminating documents regarding his misconduct, said the release. "An investigation is being done to elucidate whether he blackmailed or threatened any other officials adopting this modus operandi and collected money in the name of the Enforcement Directorate," the DVAC said. An inquiry will also be conducted to ascertain the involvement of other ED officials in the plot, if any. Further searches will be conducted at the places associated with Ankit Tiwari, stated the release. According to DAVC, Tiwari, along with his team of ED officers, had been threatening several people and receiving bribes in the name of closing their case in the Enforcement Directorate. (ANI)
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