Panchkula cops nab ED official for extorting money from Sirmaur businessman

The victim is the brother of Rajnish Bansal, the owner of the Himalayan Group of Professional Institutes in Kala Amb, Sirmaur district

The local police on Friday arrested as assistant director of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), posted at its Shimla unit, for allegedly blackmailing and extorting money from a Sirmaur businessman, officials said.

The complainant alleged that these threats were orchestrated on the instructions accused Vishal Deep so that the CBI case against him was pursued (Representational image )

They said the accused, Vishal Deep, was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by one Vikas Bansal, who alleged threats to his family.

The victim is the brother of Rajnish Bansal, the owner of the Himalayan Group of Professional Institutes in Kala Amb, Sirmaur district.

On December 22, 2024, the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) Chandigarh unit registered two cases under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act against Vishal Deep after complaints by Rajneesh Bansal.

According to the complaint by Vikas Bansal, his nephew received a call from an individual identifying himself as one Rohit Gujjar from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The caller demanded ₹50 lakh while issuing death threats.

The complainant alleged that these threats were orchestrated on the instructions accused Vishal Deep so that the CBI case against him was pursued.

Acting on the complaint, Panchkula’s crime branch arrested the accused and presented him in a local court, which remanded him to four days in custody.

A case under Sections 308(2) (extortion) and 308(4) (extortion with fear of death) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the Sector 14 police station.

The arrest comes on the heels of an earlier incident where CBI’s Chandigarh unit arrested Vishal Deep on corruption charges in Mumbai. The allegations stem from ED probe into the Himalayan Group.

According to the CBI, Vishal Deep allegedly sought a ₹1.1 crore bribe from Rajnish for not arresting him in a money laundering case. The amount was negotiated down to ₹60 lakh.

The CBI alleged that after receiving the bribe near Panchkula on December 22, 2024, Vishal Deep fled and switched off his phone. He was traced to an apartment in suburban Mumbai and arrested.

However, a special court in Mumbai deemed the arrest as illegal and ordered the accused’s release.