CBI arrests ED assistant director for accepting Rs 20 lakh bribe from Mumbai jeweller – India News

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested an assistant director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a Mumbai-based jeweller.

The officer was identified as Sandeep Singh Yadav. He was arrested in Delhi, police said, PTI reported.

Singh asked for a bribe by threatening to arrest the jeweller’s son in a money laundering case. The CBI officials said that Singh, who had recently conducted searches at the complainant’s premises, had demanded Rs 25 lakh but later agreed to help him at Rs 20 lakh, following which he was caught red-handed at Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi, Indian Express reported.

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The ED officials also registered a case against him and said that action has also been initiated to place him under suspension and for his repatriation to his parent department from ED.

After paying the bribe, the jeweller approached CBI regarding the incident.

“The verification of the complaint in the presence of independent witnesses, prima facie revealed criminal conspiracy hatched by Sandeep Singh, Assistant Director, Enforcement Directorate HQ, New Delhi with unknown others to obtain undue advantage… of Rs 20 lakh by himself and through other person from the complainant Vipul Thakkar for not arresting his son Nihar Thakkar in the matter being investigated by the ED,” the CBI FIR stated.

Singh is an officer from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and was posted as the assistant director at Investigation Unit-1 at the ED headquarters in New Delhi.

“Taking immediate cognizance of this incident and following the policy of zero tolerance towards corruption, ED has initiated criminal action against Sandeep Singh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA),” the ED officials said.

Singh has been booked under section 61 (2) (a) BNS, 2023 and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Both CBI and ED conducted searches at his residence and office on August 8. “Search operation was conducted at his residence on August 8 under the provisions of PMLA by ED so as to gather evidence of his criminal activities. His office was jointly searched by CBI and ED to collect evidence related to the offence,” ED officials said.

The officials added that the ED is investigating a case of money laundering against Thakkar’s jewellery firm which was initiated on the basis of multiple cases registered by the local police in Delhi, Uttarakhand and Bangalore.

(With inputs from PTI)

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