ED arrests IAS officer, 3 others; intimidation tactics: Bhupesh Baghel

RAIPUR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested Chhattisgarh IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi and three others following searches at 40 locations in the state over the past three days. CM Bhupesh Baghel called it 'intimidation tactics' and accused BJP of misusing central agencies.
All four have been booked under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Additional district and sessions judge Ajay Singh Rajput remanded the accused in eight days' ED custody late in the evening. During the hearing, the court was told that ED has seized cash, gold and diamond from the premises of the IAS officer.
Vishnoi, a 2009-batch IAS officer, is an IIT-Kanpur alumnus. He was questioned by ED in Raipur after the searches on his premises.
His wife, Preeti Vishnoi, and other family members met CM Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday after the arrest and alleged that ED officials have threatened to ruin his career. She said her husband has a liver ailment, hypertension and migraine yet he was not given even food and water for a long time.
Baghel mounted a blistering attack on the central agencies, asking why ED has not yet disclosed details of the seizures made during the searches. "They should have disclosed from whom they have seized cash, property and other things during the raid. Selective leaks and attributing it to sources is aimed at defamation," Baghel said .
On the same day Raigarh district collector Ranu Sahu, whose official residence was among those searched by ED, wrote to the agency after being incommunicado for two days. The three others arrested by ED were identified as Raipur-based businessman Sunil Agrawal, Navneet Tiwari and lawyer Laxmikant Tiwari - all close aides or relatives of businessman Suryakant Tiwari, who was earlier picked up for questioning by ED and I-T.