Vigilance officials ransacked office, stole documents: ED to TN police chief

The Enforcement Directorate has written to the Tamil Nadu director general of police seeking registration of an FIR against the officials of the state Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, who recently arrested its Madurai-based investigator, for conducting an allegedly illegal search at its office and "stealing" sensitive documents.

The federal probe agency has alleged that during the DVAC raids conducted at its Madurai sub-zonal office on December 1, the officials of the state agency "ransacked the entire office of the ED."

The DVAC searches were undertaken after the department arrested the ED's Madurai stationed enforcement officer Ankit Tiwari for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a doctor.

The Enforcement Directorate is also understood to have registered a money laundering case taking cognisance of this DVAC FIR against its officer to probe the charges against Tiwari and the linked allegations.

The station head of ED's Madurai office, an Assistant Director rank officer, wrote to the DGP on Saturday stating that the "alleged search conducted by DVAC is not only illegal but also mala fide."

"We request you to register an FIR against the DVAC officials who have conducted the illegal search and against all persons who entered the office premises of the ED in an unauthorised manner and have stolen the case records of ED, taken copies, and committed other offences...," the ED letter, accessed by PTI, said.

The agency said the DVAC action at its office was a "criminal trespass" and it accused the officials of the Tamil Nadu government of "stealing various sensitive case records of ED, account of which is being taken..."

It said a police FIR, based on this letter, was necessary as the DVAC officials made "illegal access to various sensitive case records and taking copies in mobile/other electronic media could jeopardise (ED's) investigation."

The agency also informed the DGP in the letter that the DVAC officials entered the room of the arrested ED officer and "opened those case files which have no relation to the alleged case for which search was ordered."

It said a total of 35 people, including some in civil dress claiming to be police personnel from DVAC along with mediapersons and a mob, "forcefully" entered the ED office.

"When we asked for their identity cards and purpose of visit, they were simply reluctant to provide any identity cards and barged in," the ED alleged.