After an all-night search of the ED's Madurai office, Tamil Nadu police report finding "incriminating" documents.

Ankit Tiwari, an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer who was detained on Friday, is the subject of an alleged bribery case. The Tamil Nadu Police wrapped up a protracted search operation on Saturday morning.

Tiwari was posted at the ED office in Madurai, and the officer's home was also searched by the Tamil Nadu Police's Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). Searches continued until six in the morning on Saturday, and authorities reported finding evidence of incrimination.

Prominent state government sources stated they would rebuff requests to transfer the investigation to a federal agency.

Tiwari was detained early on Friday morning on suspicion of accepting a bribe from a government physician. In a late-night press release, the DVAC said that Tiwari had gotten in touch with him on October 29, 2023, citing a 2018 case involving disproportionate assets against the government doctor that the DVAC's Dindigul district branch had already resolved. According to the DVAC statement, Tiwari purportedly stated that he had received orders to reopen the investigation from the Prime Minister's Office.

Officials claim that after the doctor was called to the ED office in Madurai on October 30, Tiwari allegedly forced him into a car and demanded a bribe of Rs 3 crore to stop the police from taking action. The doctor eventually agreed to accept Rs 51 lakh. It is purported that the first installment of Rs 20 lakh was delivered on November 1. Following the doctor's complaint to the DVAC, an operation was conducted, which resulted in Tiwari's arrest.

This occurs in the midst of the ED reopening a number of cases that the DVAC previously handled. State and DMK government ministers are involved in the majority of these cases. Minister V Senthil Balaji was arrested and imprisoned as a result of one such case.

The DVAC statement claims that during searches conducted after Tiwari's arrest, authorities found documents purportedly indicating Tiwari's potential involvement in threatening or blackmailing other officials with similar methods. According to the statement, more investigations are being conducted.

A DVAC representative commented on the search at the ED's Madurai office, saying: "At first, they said we cannot search and asked us to wait for permission. However, they consented after we showed them the warrant and made it clear that we were only there to search Tiwari's office. The Chennai office of the ED now has more security.