CBI Arrests ED Lucknow Officer Deepak Kumar, CRPF Jawan Manoj Dwivedi in ₹5 Lakh Bribery Trap

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday, October 23, 2026, arrested Enforcement Officer Deepak Kumar and Head Constable Manoj Dwivedi of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) Lucknow Zonal Office in connection with an alleged ₹5 lakh bribery case.

According to the agency, the action followed a complaint alleging that Dwivedi had sought money from the father of the complainant in return for help in an ED matter. The complainant’s father had reportedly received two summons from the ED Lucknow Zone in August and September 2026, and the alleged demand was linked to assistance in that case.

The CBI said it registered the case the same day against Manoj Dwivedi and unknown officials of the ED Lucknow office. Acting quickly on the complaint, the agency organised a trap on October 23. During the operation, Dwivedi was allegedly caught red-handed while demanding and accepting ₹5,00,000 on behalf of Deepak Kumar, supposedly to secure a favourable outcome for the complainant’s father in the ED proceedings.

Following the trap, both officials were apprehended. Deepak Kumar was posted as an Enforcement Officer at the ED’s Lucknow Zonal Office, while Manoj Dwivedi served there as a Head Constable on deputation from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The CBI noted that Dwivedi is not part of the ED cadre.

Both men have been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act. In its statement, the CBI said: “The CBI registered the case on Friday against the head-constable of the enforcement directorate, Lucknow and unknown officials of the ED, Lucknow based on a complaint. It was alleged that the accused head constable (Dwivedi) demanded a bribe from the father of the complainant for helping him in the ED case in which he received two summons in the month of August and September 2026 from the ED Lucknow Zone.” The agency added that a trap was laid and Dwivedi was caught while demanding and accepting ₹5,00,000 on behalf of Kumar.

The investigation is continuing to determine the full scope of the alleged misconduct and whether any other officials were involved in the bribery arrangement. The CBI has not disclosed the specific nature of the underlying ED case, nor has it identified the complainant or his father in its official statements.

The arrests are part of the CBI’s continuing anti-corruption operations involving public servants across agencies. The agency has not released further details beyond the allegations and the trap operation.