NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to ED official Ankit Tiwari, who was arrested by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in December 2023 in a bribery case. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan granted interim relief to Ankit Tiwari.

However, the court imposed various conditions on Ankit Tiwari, including not to influence witnesses, not to tamper with evidence and not to leave the state of Tamil Nadu without permission. Ankit Tiwari has challenged the Madras High Court order dismissing his bail plea in the money laundering case. The top court has asked the Tamil Nadu Government to file a reply to Ankit Tiwari's plea.

Along with Tiwari's bail plea, the apex court is dealing with the Enforcement Directorate's plea seeking a transfer of investigation into bribery allegations against the ED officer from TN's DVAC to CBI The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in December arrested an officer of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging that he had been caught "red-handed" while accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a doctor in Dindigul district.

Tamil Nadu officials have alleged that Ankit Tiwari, along with his team of ED officers, had been "threatening several people and receiving bribes" in the name of closing their case in the Enforcement Directorate.