New Delhi: A senior Enforcement Directorate (ED) was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a Mumbai-based jeweller and arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), officials said on Thursday.
Sandeep Singh Yadav, an Assistant Director of ED, allegedly received the money from a person under ED investigation in exchange for favours in the case.
CBI’s Mumbai unit caught Yadav in New Delhi on Wednesday night.
A joint team of CBI and ED raided Yadav’s office to collect evidence on Thursday. The probe revealed a criminal conspiracy hatched by Yadav with some unknown people, according to the CBI.
According to the CBI chargesheet, ED sleuths conducted searches at the jeweller’s premises on August 3 and 4. Yadav allegedly threatened to arrest the jeweller’s son if he did not pay the ED officer Rs 25 lakh.
CBI’s probe revealed that the bribe amount was reduced to Rs 20 lakh following negotiations.
“Taking immediate cognisance of this incident and because of zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, the ED has initiated criminal action against Sandeep Singh Yadav under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),” CBI said.
Besides the investigation under PMLA, Yadav is likely to be place under immediate suspension.
