Mumbai: A significant reshuffle has taken place within the Enforcement Directorate (ED) with three top officials assuming new roles. In an order issued on September 17, the Department of Revenue appointed Subhash Agrawal as Special Director of Enforcement for the Western Region and Satyabrata Kumar for the Eastern Region.

Satyabrata Kumar, a 2004-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer who is in-charge of the Western Region, has been transferred to the Eastern Region. This move is reportedly aimed at expediting the central agency’s investigations into various cases in West Bengal, including the recent probe into financial irregularities at the state-run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata.

Kumar will replace Subhash Agrawal, a 1993-batch IRS officer, as the head of the Eastern Region. Agrawal, in turn, has been transferred to the Western Region, which is headquartered in Mumbai. This region includes Maharashtra, a key state in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The timing of the reshuffle has attracted attention, with political observers speculating about its potential implications just before the polls.

During his tenure in the ED's Western Region, Satyabrata Kumar handled some of the most high-profile financial crime cases in recent history. His tenure featured several groundbreaking investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), establishing him as one of India's top investigators. Kumar played a crucial role in exposing the Mahadev Betting App case, a massive illegal online betting racket. In Maharashtra, he led politically sensitive investigations that resulted in the arrests of prominent opposition leaders, including former state ministers Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik. His work extended to probes involving over a dozen political figures, notably including Ajit Pawar, placing Kumar at the center of Maharashtra's legal and political spheres.

Additionally, Kumar was instrumental in investigating cryptocurrency hawala operations linked to cross-border money laundering activities. His efforts also uncovered the Aam Aadmi Party's Goa election funding money laundering case and several COVID-19-related money laundering investigations.

Kumar's notable achievements include the high-profile arrest of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi in London, a case that garnered international attention. His involvement in the investigation of the Religare money laundering case further solidified his reputation as an expert in tackling some of the country's most notorious financial crime cases. With his transfer to the Eastern Region, all eyes will be on Kumar as he undertakes investigations in politically charged West Bengal, potentially influencing the course of several ongoing probes.

At the same time, the Northern Region was assigned to Abhishek Goyal who will hold this position in addition to his current role as Special Director of Enforcement, Headquarters Investigation Unit (HIU). Goyal is a Karnataka cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 2005 batch.