Kapil Raj, an Additional Director-ranked officer with the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has been making headlines with his recent high-profile arrests. On Thursday, Raj led the probe agency team that arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, marking the first time a sitting Chief Minister has been arrested in India.
A 2009-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, Kapil Raj also arrested former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on January 31. These notable arrests are just the tip of the iceberg in Raj’s career, which has been marked by involvement in several high-profile cases.
Born in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Kapil Raj was raised in a middle-class family. His father is a retired government servant. After completing his initial schooling, Raj pursued an engineering degree in Lucknow and later cracked the UPSC exam in 2008. He was assigned to the Customs & Central Excise (C&CE) as his parent cadre.
Kapil Raj worked for a few years with his parent cadre before being sent on deputation to the Enforcement Directorate seven years ago. He joined the Mumbai Zonal office of the ED as Deputy Director. During his tenure in Mumbai, he worked on several significant cases, including the infamous Punjab National Bank case involving billionaire fugitives Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.
Three years ago, Raj was transferred to Delhi and promoted to the rank of Joint Director. He was given charge of the elite Headquarters Investigation Unit (HIU) in Delhi, along with responsibilities in Jharkhand. In this role, he tackled high-profile cases such as the West Bengal coal scam, which allegedly involved TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Jharkhand’s illegal mining case and land scam leading to Hemant Soren’s arrest, and the recent Delhi excise policy case resulting in the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Kapil Raj’s rise from a middle-class upbringing in Uttar Pradesh to becoming one of the most notable officers in the Enforcement Directorate is a testament to his dedication and skill. His ability to handle high-profile cases with precision has made him a key figure in India’s fight against corruption and financial fraud.
