NEW DELHI: Satyabrata Kumar, a former special director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and lead investigator in numerous high-profile money laundering cases, has opted for voluntary retirement from government service (VRS). Kumar, a 2004-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer from the Customs and Indirect Taxes cadre, was last positioned as Commissioner (Appeals) in Siliguri, West Bengal, following his repatriation from the ED a year prior.
Having served nearly 12 years in the ED, Kumar is recognized as one of the longest-serving officers on deputation within the agency. At 48 years old, he was granted approval for VRS by the Union government in April, with formal orders being issued earlier this month. According to officials, he had about 11 years remaining before his scheduled retirement in 2037.
Sources indicated that Kumar is leaving government service to pursue personal interests. During his tenure at the ED, Kumar spearheaded investigations from the agency’s Mumbai-based western regional office, involving significant cases such as the alleged USD 2 billion bank fraud concerning diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, as well as the bank loan fraud case linked to liquor baron Vijay Mallya. He played a crucial role in the attachment of several foreign-based assets identified as proceeds of crime in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.
Additionally, Kumar’s office investigated the Mahadev betting app case, which revealed connections to various politicians and businessmen in Chhattisgarh. This marks the second instance in less than a year where an officer has resigned soon after departing from the ED. In July 2025, Kapil Raj, a former joint director at the ED, resigned from his position 15 years prior to his expected retirement. Raj, who also had a background in the IRS (Customs and Indirect Taxes) and served 8 years in the ED, resigned while holding the role of additional commissioner in the GST Intelligence wing in Delhi.
