CBI likely to register DA case against two ED officials arrested in ₹5 lakh bribery case

The possible DA probe could widen the investigation beyond the alleged bribe to examine the financial dealings and assets of the two officials

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to register a fresh disproportionate assets (DA) case against two Enforcement Directorate (ED) personnel arrested in an alleged ₹5 lakh bribery case, with the agency expected to examine their assets, income and financial transactions to ascertain whether they possess wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income, sources said.

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A senior CBI official privy to the development stated that the proposed case would be separate from the bribery case in which enforcement officer Deepak Kumar and head constable Manoj Dwivedi, both posted at the ED’s Lucknow zonal office, were arrested on Friday. The ED has since suspended both officials and initiated a departmental inquiry against them.

The possible DA probe could widen the investigation beyond the alleged bribe to examine the financial dealings and assets of the two officials. However, the CBI is yet to register a separate DA case, and the proposed action remains at the stage of consideration, according to sources.

The CBI arrested the two officials after allegedly catching Dwivedi red-handed while demanding and accepting ₹5 lakh on behalf of Kumar in exchange for extending a favour to a man whose father was facing an ED investigation.

According to a CBI statement, the agency registered the bribery case on October 23 following a complaint alleging that Dwivedi had demanded money from the complainant’s father in return for helping him in an ED case. The man had received two summonses from the agency in August and September 2026.

If a DA case is registered, the CBI would be able to investigate the officials’ known sources of income and compare them with their assets and expenditure over the relevant period. Such an investigation may involve scrutiny of property records, bank accounts, investments and other financial transactions, subject to the scope of the case.

A separate DA case would require the agency to establish the relevant facts and evidence rather than treating the alleged bribery itself as proof of disproportionate wealth. No details of any suspected disproportionate assets of either official have been made public so far.