Satyabrata Kumar, the former special director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) who spearheaded investigations into major money laundering cases involving Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, and the Mahadev online betting app, has opted for voluntary retirement from service (VRS), according to official sources.
Career and Background
A 2004-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer from the Customs and Indirect Taxes cadre, Kumar was most recently posted as Commissioner (Appeals) in Siliguri, West Bengal. This posting came after he was repatriated from the ED approximately one year ago. Kumar's tenure with the ED spanned nearly 12 years, making him one of the longest-serving officers on deputation in the agency's history.
At 48 years old, Kumar had over a decade of service remaining before his scheduled retirement at the age of 60 in 2037. However, he chose to step away from government service to focus on personal pursuits, as per sources familiar with the matter.
Approval and Formal Orders
According to officials, the Union government granted approval for Kumar's VRS in April of this year, with formal orders being issued earlier this month. This decision marks the end of a distinguished career in law enforcement and financial crime investigation.
Key Investigations Led by Kumar
During his time with the ED, Kumar headed the agency's Mumbai-based western regional office. Under his leadership, the office handled several high-profile cases, including:
- The Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi Case: A massive bank fraud case involving an alleged USD 2 billion scam linked to diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Kumar was instrumental in attaching numerous foreign-based assets worth crores, identified as proceeds of crime.
- The Vijay Mallya Case: A bank loan fraud case against the liquor baron, which resulted in significant legal actions and asset seizures.
- The Mahadev Betting App Case: An investigation into the online betting platform that uncovered links to various politicians and businessmen in Chhattisgarh.
- Cases Involving Maharashtra Politicians: Kumar's team also probed several cases connected to political figures in the state.
Similar Resignation Trend
Kumar's departure is the second instance in less than a year of an officer resigning shortly after leaving the ED. In July 2025, Kapil Raj, a former ED joint director who oversaw the arrests of Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal in separate money laundering cases, resigned from service 15 years before his scheduled retirement. Raj, a 2009-batch IRS officer (Customs and Indirect Taxes), had served in the ED for eight years and resigned while serving as additional commissioner in the GST Intelligence wing in Delhi.
These departures highlight a trend of experienced officers leaving government service for personal reasons, potentially impacting institutional memory and expertise in financial crime investigations.
