ED Official Arrested for Bribery During Money Laundering Probe.
08 August 2024
On the night of August 7, 2024, Sandeep Singh, an Assistant Director at the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), was apprehended by the CBI in New Delhi with ?20 lakh in cash. Singh allegedly extorted this money to influence an ongoing ED investigation. The ED promptly initiated legal action against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), filing an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and conducting a search at his residence and office on August 8, 2024. Singh is also facing suspension and repatriation to his parent department.
The incident is linked to a broader money laundering investigation involving several FIRs from various locations, including Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Bangalore. On August 4, 2024, a search was conducted at the Mumbai residence of Vipul Thakkar, owner of M/s V S Gold, suspected of money laundering. Although Singh was involved in this search, he was not the case's investigating officer. Instead, he was only supposed to conduct the search. Despite this, Singh reportedly misrepresented himself as the investigating officer and accepted a bribe.