New Delhi: The CBI has arrested a senior Enforcement Directorate officer while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a jeweller in Mumbai, media reports said, citing officials.

Sandeep Singh Yadav, the Assistant Director of the central agency responsible for investigating money laundering cases, is accused of extorting the amount from a person under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate in return for favourable treatment in the case.

The CBI's Mumbai unit arrested Yadav in New Delhi on Wednesday night, according to the officials.

The CBI chargesheet reveals that the Enforcement Directorate had conducted searches at the jeweller's premises on August 3 and 4.

Following the raids, Yadav allegedly threatened to arrest the jeweller's son unless Rs 25 lakh was paid.

The sum was later negotiated down to Rs 20 lakh, the CBI investigation found.

“Taking immediate cognisance of this incident and following the policy of zero tolerance towards corruption, the ED has initiated criminal action against Sandeep Singh Yadav under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),” the CBI was quoted as saying by India Today.

On Thursday, a joint team from the CBI and Enforcement Directorate conducted a raid on Yadav's office to gather evidence.

The CBI stated that the investigation also uncovered a criminal conspiracy involving Yadav and unidentified accomplices.

In addition to the PMLA case, officials said that steps have been taken to suspend Yadav immediately and initiate his repatriation to his parent department, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), from the Enforcement Directorate.