ED official Vishal Deep released over lapses in CBI arrest

A special court has pointed out significant procedural errors in the arrest of Vishal Deep, an Enforcement Directorate (ED) official, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over alleged bribery. The court ordered his immediate release.

Special Judge B Y Phad rejected the CBI's request for transit remand, finding the allegations against Deep “not well-founded.” Deep, the assistant director of the ED’s Shimla unit, was arrested on Tuesday in Mumbai for allegedly demanding a Rs 1.1 crore bribe from Rajnish Bansal, chairman of the Himalayan group of professional institutions, in exchange for not arresting him in an ongoing money laundering probe.

The court noted that the CBI failed to produce the case diary, a critical document for transparency and procedural legitimacy. This, the judge said, undermines the prosecution's case. The court also pointed out the failure of the investigation officer to serve an arrest warrant, making the arrest “procedurally unsound.”

The judge found that the CBI’s actions were marked by several fundamental lapses, including procedural violations and inconsistencies, which led to the ruling that Deep’s detention was illegal. Deep was granted release on a personal recognizance bond of Rs 50,000.

The CBI had alleged that Deep received a bribe of Rs 60 lakh near Panchkula in Haryana on December 22, 2024, and then evaded authorities by changing his location and phone. He was eventually traced and arrested in Mumbai on Tuesday.