ED curbs tenure of special director Satyabrata Kumar, orders repatriation

New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the curtailment of the deputation tenure of Satyabrata Kumar, Special Director of Enforcement at the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), and his immediate repatriation to his parent cadre, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

This decision marks the end of Kumar’s extended tenure at the ED, where he has served for over eleven years. Kumar, a 2004-batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes), initially joined the ED in 2013 as a Joint Director in Mumbai.

Over the years, he played a pivotal role in investigating several high-profile financial crimes, including the Rs 12,500-crore Punjab National Bank fraud involving fugitive diamantaires Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, the Rs 9,200-crore bank loan fraud linked to liquor baron Vijay Mallya, and terror-financing cases associated with deceased narcotics trafficker Iqbal Mirchi.

His expertise in handling complex economic offenses earned him a reputation as a formidable investigator.

Despite an earlier attempt by the Finance Ministry to repatriate Kumar in 2019, his transfer was swiftly revoked by then-ED Director SK Mishra, under whom Kumar was considered a trusted officer.

In 2022, he was granted an extension to continue serving in the ED until October 2026. However, the latest directive has prematurely ended his tenure, approximately seventeen months ahead of schedule.

Officials speculate that Kumar’s return to his parent cadre may be linked to an important assignment requiring his investigative acumen.

His tenure at the ED has been marked by significant contributions to financial crime investigations, and his departure signals a shift in the agency’s leadership structure.

The government’s decision to repatriate him underscores the evolving priorities within the enforcement framework, as new leadership takes charge of on-going investigations.

--IANS

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