CBI arrests ED Deputy Director Chintan Raghuvanshi in ₹20 lakh bribery case

CBI arrests ED officer Chintan Raghuvanshi in Odisha for allegedly accepting ₹20 lakh from a mining businessman as part of a ₹2 crore bribe to influence a money laundering case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Chintan Raghuvanshi, a deputy director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) posted in Odisha, in connection with an alleged bribery case, officials said on Friday.

 

Raghuvanshi, a 2013 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer from the Customs and Indirect Taxes cadre, was caught accepting ₹20 lakh, reportedly the first instalment of a larger ₹2 crore bribe. Some media reports suggest that the bribe totalled to ₹50 lakh.  The arrest came following a trap operation based on a complaint from a Bhubaneswar-based businessman, Ratikanta Rout, who owns a stone mining business in Dhenkanal. 

 

According to the CBI’s First Information Report (FIR), Rout was summoned by the ED in March this year for questioning in a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). During the interaction, Raghuvanshi allegedly directed Rout to speak to an intermediary named Bhaghti to "settle" the case. Bhaghti allegedly pressured Rout via FaceTime and in person, stating that Raghuvanshi had initially demanded ₹5 crore to prevent arrest and avoid the attachment of Rout’s hospital property.

 

When Rout said he could not afford the sum, Raghuvanshi allegedly negotiated the bribe down to ₹2 crore. The ₹20 lakh was meant as an initial payment. The bribe was also allegedly routed through Raghuvanshi’s brother, prompting the CBI to expand the scope of its investigation.

 

(With agency inputs)