Corruption
Ex-IAS Officer Under CBI and ED Radar in Disproportionate Assets Case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the residence of retired IAS officer and former Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ramesh Abhishek, on May 21. The raid is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of money laundering related to disproportionate assets.
The case against Abhishek, a 1982-batch IAS officer from the Bihar cadre, stems from a recent FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This FIR, lodged by the anti-corruption agency, led to the ED’s probe. Earlier, in February, the CBI had conducted a raid on Abhishek’s premises.
Abhishek retired from the DPIIT in 2019 after a distinguished career spanning over three decades. However, his retirement did not mark the end of his association with the law, as allegations of financial misconduct began to surface.
The ED’s investigation is focused on allegations of money laundering connected to disproportionate assets accumulated during Abhishek’s tenure. According to sources cited by PTI, the ED is thoroughly searching Abhishek’s properties as part of their probe.
Abhishek’s daughter, Vanessa Agrawal, has also been implicated in the case. The CBI and ED have booked both father and daughter on charges of criminal conspiracy and violations under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PoCA). They are accused of receiving substantial amounts of money from various entities while Abhishek was in office.
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Abhishek, who also served as the Chairman of the Forward Markets Commission (Later merged with SEBI), is alleged to have received large sums as professional fees from organizations he had official dealings with. These allegations were initially brought to light by the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal, which referred the case to the CBI. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the extent of the alleged corruption and the flow of illicit funds.
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