NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Enforcement Directorate officer Ankit Tiwari who was arrested by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) for alleged bribery in December last year.
A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Surya Kant and also comprising Justice KV Viswanathan, however, said that Tiwari shall not directly or indirectly contact or influence the witnesses in the case. The apex court, while pronouncing the order, said that as a bail condition, Tiwari shall not leave the state without official permission and also surrender his passport if asked to do so.
The SC was hearing a batch of petitions related to DVAC’s bribery case against Tiwari, including that of an appeal filed by him challenging the dismissal of his plea seeking bail by the Madras High Court.
The ED pleaded before the court that the probe into the bribery case against Tiwari (currently being investigated by the DVAC) be handed over to the CBI. The SC did not pas any order.
Tamil Nadu officials have claimed that Tiwari, along with his team of ED officers, had allegedly been “threatening several people and receiving bribes” in the name of closing their cases.
The DVAC said that Tiwari was caught “red-handed” while accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a doctor in Dindigul district.
Rs 20L bribe from doctor
The Tamil Nadu DVAC said Ankit Tiwari was caught “red-handed” while accepting a bribe of Ra 20 lakh from a doctor in Dindigul district