DINDIGUL: The Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Dindigul granted custody of Enforcement Officer (EO) R Ankit Tiwari to DVAC until December 14 and ordered them to produce him back for the next hearing.
According to sources, Ankit Tiwari was arrested by DVAC sleuths on December 1 for demanding and accepting the second installment of undue advantage of Rs 20 lakh from a government hospital doctor T Suresh Babu. Babu was approached by the officer earlier claiming that ED is investigating a disproportionate assets case against him and demanded Rs 3 crore as bribe to evade the process. Tiwari was arrested and produced before the court, which placed him under judicial custody. Later, he was lodged in Madurai Central Prison after being transferred from Dindigul district jail. The counsel of Tiwari filed a bail petition before the court on December 5 but the court dismissed his bail petition.
The DVAC made a submission before Chief Judicial Magistrate J Mohana, who is the special judge for prevention of corruption act cases, seeking three days custody of Ankit Tiwari to interrogate him in the bribe case on Friday. When the petition came up for hearing on Tuesday, the counsel of DVAC told the court that there was a lot of money involved in the case. The DVAC felt there was a need for a police inquiry with him as some more suspects might be involved in the bribe issue. The counsel of Tiwari refused the plea for custody but was willing to be interrogated through video conference.
Upon hearing the arguments, CJM Mohana granted the DVAC custody of the EO till 5 pm of December 14 (Thursday). In the span of the inquiry, the court also permitted the counsel of Tiwari to meet him. Tiwari was brought from Madurai Central Prison to the court for the hearing, after which the DVAC took him to custody.