Chennai, Dec 2: Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Annamalai has come to the defense of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) following the arrest of one of its officers by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in the state. Annamalai characterized the incident as an “individual’s mistake” and emphasized that the agency as a whole should not be held accountable for the actions of a single officer.
Speaking to reporters in Thoothukudi, Annamalai highlighted that such arrests are not unique to Tamil Nadu, stating, “The arrest of the ED official is not the first time and not the last, and similar instances have occurred in other states as well.”
The backdrop of Annamalai’s statement is the recent arrest of Ankit Tiwari, an ED officer, who was apprehended by DVAC sleuths while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a doctor in Dindigul.
According to reports, Tiwari had purportedly demanded a bribe of Rs 3 crore from the doctor, citing the possibility of re-opening a case by the ED. Subsequently, the bribe amount was negotiated down to Rs 50 lakh, and the doctor handed over the second installment of the total amount before DVAC officials caught Tiwari in the act.