"Not vindictive like BJP, strict action will be taken to uphold justice": Kanimozhi on arrest of ED official

MADURAI: Amid searches at the Enforcement Directorate sub-zonal office in Madurai in connection with the arrest of an Enforcement Directorate (ED) official in an alleged bribery case, DMK MP Kanimozhi on Saturday said the operation leading to his apprehension wasn't a vindictive one unlike those launched against Opposition leaders and forces at the behest of the BJP at the Centre.

She added that strict action would be taken to establish 'justice and fairness' in the case.

Speaking to ANI amid the ongoing searches by Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) officials, Kanimozhi said, "Strict action will be taken against wrongdoers. Unlike the BJP at the Centre, which uses central agencies at its disposal to target Opposition leaders, ours is not a vindictive operation. Action is being taken to uphold and establish justice and fairness in the matter."

DVAC officials conducted searches at the Enforcement Directorate sub-zonal office in Madurai on Saturday after arresting ED officer Ankit Tiwari in connection with a bribery case, and seized several incriminating documents, officials said.

Tiwari, a 2016-batch officer currently posted in Madurai, was allegedly caught "red-handed" while accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a doctor in the Dindigul district of the state on Friday.

The ED officer was arrested after being chased on the Dindigul-Madurai highway for eight kilometres, officials said. The arrest of the ED officer comes as 'Murasoli', the mouthpiece of the state's ruling party, DMK, on Friday, in a hard-hitting editorial, accused the BJP of using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to tarnish the DMK government's reputation.

The Congress in Tamil Nadu sought to blame the ED, stating that the official arrested on a bribery charge should not have run if he was innocent.

"Based on the information and complaint received by the Tamil Nadu police, they went to check with the Enforcement Directorate office. If he (the officer concerned) is innocent, he could have faced them. Why did he run away at the time?" Tamil Nadu Congress president KS Alagiri said.

The BJP, however, stated that it was unfair to implicate the entire department for the misconduct of one individual. Addressing media persons in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai said on Saturday, "Yesterday, DVAC arrested one person from the ED department. He was produced before the court and sent to judicial custody. This is not the first time and this isn't the last time either. Earlier too, many have been caught and arrested from specialised agencies like the CBI and ED in states like Rajasthan, West Bengal and Delhi. Recently, a similar incident happened in Rajasthan. We can't blame the ED for a single individual's mistake."

DVAC officials conducted searches in connection with the case at the residence of Ankit Tiwari and the ED sub-zonal office in Madurai. CRPF personnel were also seen outside the central government office where the DVAC officials conducted inquiries.

Security personnel at the Madurai ED office locked the office from inside while DVAC officials conducted their searches on Saturday. Sleuths of the DVAC caught Ankit Tiwari after he allegedly received Rs 20 lakh as a bribe from the complainant.

Subsequently, he was arrested at 10.30 am under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The sleuths also seized several incriminating documents attesting to his misconduct, stated an official release. Further probe is underway to find out if 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, the DVAC said, adding that further searches will be conducted at the places associated with Tiwari. 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.