Before CBI raid, ED officer Jitender Pratap Singh was under PMO scanner

The ED director then instituted an inquiry and found many irregularities in the functioning of the Ahmedabad zonal office which Singh headed. Sources said it was found that violating all circulars and norms, Singh would call the accused for interrogation without sending any summons. He reportedly did not get any questionnaire approved by his superiors before calling witnesses or accused for examination.

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The inquiry reportedly found irregularities in investigations. For instance, he was found to have slapped the stringent Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the accused in the IPL betting racket without any basis. It was found that no “investigative analysis” was made about money sent abroad to betting portals, which would form the basis for a PMLA case. The inquiry also reportedly found that he beat up suspects during interrogation.

It was after this internal inquiry report that the ED recommended a CBI probe against Singh.

The CBI, which raided several premises of Singh and his colleagues on Wednesday night, reportedly found “incriminating documents”. Sources said though no cash was recovered, documents related to properties amassed by the accused have been seized.

Singh was heading the Ahmedabad zone for the last four years and also had Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh under his jurisdiction. An IRS officer of 2000-batch, he also served in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Mumbai, for nearly five years. During his tenure, he busted a smuggling racket of imported cars which involved corporate houses and influential individuals. He was with the Censor Board, Mumbai, for about a year before being transferred as Joint Director, ED, Ahmedabad.

Soon after he busted the alleged Rs 10,000 crore hawala racket in Surat involving Afroz Fatta in 2014, Singh is said to have received a threat from the underworld. He sought permission for a gun licence and installed CCTV cameras in his office. Singh is alleged to have demanded and accepted bribes from the accused in the alleged hawala racket and the Rs 2,000 crore IPL betting racket. Earlier this year, he was awarded for his “outstanding” work in busting these two cases.

According to sources, on Sunday, ED Special Director (western zone) S W Naqvi questioned Singh and other staff on the bribery charges. Singh reportedly said they were “being targeted since the cases under investigation have high stakes involving many influential individuals.”

Singh’s father-in-law, S K S Somvanshi, former chief commissioner with Central Excise (Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh), is alleged to have accepted bribes on Singh’s behalf. Somvanshi has also faced CBI investigations on charges of corruption in the past, but has come out unscathed.