A special CBI court in Bhubaneswar has rejected the bail application of Chintan Raghuvanshi, the Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Bhubaneswar, who was arrested on May 30, 2025, for allegedly accepting a Rs 20 lakh bribe.
The Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer was apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a sting operation at an apartment in Patia, Bhubaneswar, while accepting the bribe to settle a money laundering case linked to a mining scam involving Dhenkanal-based businessman Rohit Ranjan Rout.
The case traces back to January 8, 2025, when the ED conducted raids across multiple locations in Odisha targeting a mining-related financial irregularity. Raghuvanshi, leveraging his position, allegedly demanded Rs 5 crore to quash the case against Rout. After negotiations through a middleman, Bhakti Behera, the amount was reduced to Rs 2 crore, with Rs 20 lakh as the initial payment. Rout, unwilling to comply with the extortion, approached the CBI with a formal complaint, prompting the agency to set up a trap.
On the evening of May 30, CBI officials caught Raghuvanshi red-handed while accepting the Rs 20 lakh at the Patia apartment. The cash was seized, and both Raghuvanshi and Behera were arrested. Following his arrest, Raghuvanshi was interrogated overnight but reportedly failed to provide clear answers regarding the bribe money. He was subsequently sent to 14 days of judicial custody. The special CBI court rejected his bail plea, citing the severity of the charges under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The CBI is continuing its investigation, exploring the potential involvement of other individuals and additional financial irregularities linked to the case. The agency is also probing whether this incident is part of a larger network of corruption within the ED’s regional operations. The seized Rs 20 lakh remains a critical piece of evidence, and the ongoing trial has drawn significant attention due to the involvement of a senior ED official.
This case has sparked widespread concern about corruption within enforcement agencies tasked with upholding financial integrity.
