Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 2, 2021, raided the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office and held two senior officials of ED, Director Purnakam Singh and Additional Director Bhuvnesh Kumar allegedly in a bribery case. According to CBI sources, the two had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 75 lakh from HM Industries Pvt Ltd located in Kapadvanj Taluka of Gujarat for helping them in the NPA (Non-Performing Asset) Case, registered against them in the ED.
Senior CBI officials said that according to the ongoing investigations, the first consignment of the bribe money, amounting to Rs 5 lakh was sent through an angadia firm in Delhi.
“We caught the angadia firm employee and through him came to know that the money was to be given to Director Purnkaram Singh and Assistant Director Bhuvnesh Kumar of the ED office in Ahmedabad. The next installment of Rs 50 lakh was to be paid later in the case and the final installment of Rs 5 lakh was to be paid when the case is resolved,” said a senior CBI officer.
CBI officials said that based on this information, they raided the ED office located near Helmet Circle in Ahmedabad and held both Purnakaran Singh and Bhuvnesh Kumar.
“Both have been sent for Covid-19 test before making their official arrest,” added a CBI official.
According to CBI sources, HM Industries had taken a loan of Rs 1.04 crores from the Bank of Baroda and did not repay it.
“Hence ED has registered a case against HM Industries. The ED officers, Purnakakaram Singh and Bhuvnesh Kumar demanded a bribe to settle the case. HM Industries agreed to that and had even paid the first installment of Rs 5 lakh through an angadia firm in Delhi. We traced the link, which led us to the ED office. Search is on at the office and residential places of both the accused,” added a senior CBI official.
This is the second time CBI has raided the ED office in Ahmedabad in the last six years. In September 2015 three officers of ED including the then Joint Director JP Singh was booked by CBI in an alleged corruption case and were later shunted out of Gujarat.
“Two days later we conducted searches at the residence of the then ED officers including the then JD of ED, JP Singh. Singh and others were charged to be involved in a Rs 10,000 crore Hawala scam and Rs 2000 crore international cricket betting Racket,” said an official. Investigations are still pending.
