The officials said that the assistant director and his brother Vikas Deep, a senior manager in the Punjab National Bank in Delhi, had allegedly travelled to Chandigarh to collect bribe money from a businessman facing a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

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The businessman lodged a complaint with the CBI alleging extortion. The Chandigarh unit of the agency planned an operation to nab the ED officer by instructing the complainant to hand over a bribe of ₹55 lakh in cash to the officer, with CBI officials monitoring the situation.

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Attempts to arrest failed

The plan was to apprehend the accused after he allegedly accepted the bribe, officials told PT.

However, during the operation, the ED officer, on deputation from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), realised it was a trap and reportedly fled with the cash, officials said.

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The CBI has been searching for him for six days and has even deployed technical surveillance to trace his location, but attempts to catch the ED officer have failed.

Approximately ₹1 crore in cash, including the bribe amount, has been recovered, officials noted. The vehicle used by the officer while fleeing was later found at the ED office.

The CBI has arrested Vikas Deep, the assistant director’s brother in connection with the case and presented him before a court. He is currently being questioned about his alleged involvement in the case.

ED sources told PTI that the assistant director from its Shimla sub-zonal office, along with his supervisory officers—a deputy director and a joint director based in Chandigarh—have been transferred to Delhi in light of the ongoing investigation.