CBI raids ED officer’s residence in Shimla

The CBI has raided the residence of the Assistant Director of the Enforcement Directorate in Shimla, who escaped after eluding the agency during an operation on Sunday.

Officials said that the assistant director of ED posted in Shimla and his brother Vikas Deep, who is a senior manager at Punjab National Bank in Delhi, had gone to Chandigarh to collect bribe money allegedly from a businessman. A case has been registered against the businessman under the Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Officials said the businessman lodged a complaint with the CBI about the alleged extortion, based on which the agency’s Chandigarh unit hatched a plan in which the complainant was asked to pay a cash bribe of Rs 55 lakh to the official and the CBI official Was keeping an eye on it. He said that the plan was drawn up that the CBI would arrest the accused after allegedly taking bribe.

Officials said that the ED officer who came on deputation from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) got the information during the operation and fled the scene with the cash. He said that the agency has been trying to find him for the last six days. He said that technical surveillance has been started to trace the accused.

Officials said that so far cash worth around one crore rupees has been recovered along with the bribe amount. He said that the car used by the absconding officer to escape was also found in the ED office. Officials said that the CBI has arrested Vikas Deep and produced him in the court in connection with the case.

Officials said that the CBI today arrested the middleman Neeraj and produced him in a special court, from where he was sent to the custody of the agency for a day.

The agency is interrogating him regarding his alleged involvement in the case. ED sources said that after the case, the accused assistant director of Shimla sub-zonal office and his supervisor officers, a deputy director and a joint director (based in Chandigarh) have been transferred to Delhi. -News-Patiala