In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an assistant director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹20 lakh from a Mumbai-based jeweller. The arrest occurred on Thursday and highlights an ongoing issue of corruption within India’s regulatory agencies.
The arrested official, Sandeep Singh Yadav, who works with the ED’s headquarters in New Delhi, is accused of threatening the jeweller, Vipul Harish Thakkar, to secure the bribe. According to the CBI’s investigation, Yadav initially demanded ₹25 lakh to avoid arresting Thakkar’s son, Nihar Thakkar, but the amount was later negotiated down to ₹20 lakh.
The bribery allegation came to light after the ED conducted searches at Thakkar’s premises on August 3 and 4. Following these events, Thakkar reported the incident to the CBI, leading to the investigation that culminated in Yadav’s arrest. The CBI FIR states that Yadav, along with unidentified accomplices, was involved in a criminal conspiracy to extort the bribe in exchange for not taking action against Thakkar’s son.
The arrest of Yadav was made in the Lajpat Nagar area of Delhi, where he was caught red-handed accepting the bribe. The CBI’s Mumbai unit set up a trap to apprehend Yadav with the assistance of Thakkar.
This case adds to a troubling pattern of corruption within the ED. In August 2023, another assistant director of the ED was arrested along with six other officials for accepting bribes of ₹5 crore to shield Delhi businessman Aman Dhall in a separate scandal involving the Delhi liquor policy case.
Sources By Agencies