CBI arrests assistant director of ED in Patna over bribery charges

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an assistant director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at Patna in Bihar for allegedly taking bribes from different persons.

The ED is a nodal agency for probing economic crimes such as money laundering and violation of foreign exchange regulations.

According to a CBI FIR, ED assistant director Shashi Shekhar had allegedly taken bribes to the tune of Rs 10 lakh and parked the money with a Kolkata-based businessman, Raj Kumar Agarwal with an intention to take them back as lawful income at a later date.

The CBI registered the FIR on Wednesday after being tipped off that a Patna-based representative of Agarwal, identified only by his



first name Dilip, would deliver money along with some blank cheques to Shekhar.

Dilip was also arrested along with the ED official after filing of the FIR, said a CBI spokesman. Agarwal has also been named as an accused in the case.

The case has been filed under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act as well as over charges of criminal conspiracy.

The CBI said the accused ED official entered into huge cash transactions despite knowing that any single cash transaction above Rs 2 lakh is punishable under the Income Tax Act.

According to ED sources, Shekhar was transferred to Bhubaneswar only four days ago. He was transferred to Patna from Mumbai few months ago.