Kerala HC grants anticipatory bail to ED officer in bribery case
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to a senior officer of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Shekar Kumar, who was arrayed as an accused in a bribery case registered by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau ( VACB)-Kerala.
The High Court had reserved its verdict on July 3 in the plea of Kumar after hearing the counsel for the ED, who pointed out that he has been transferred to Shillong, but he (ED Officer) is ready to cooperate with the investigation.
Following this, the court announced that the interim protection that he has got will continue till the final orders are out, and the orders came on Thursday, giving him relief.
Kumar is the first accused in a high-profile corruption case registered by VACB in May.
The case has already seen the arrest of three individuals — Chartered Accountant Ranjith Warrier, alleged middleman Wilson, and Mukesh Jain, who hails from Rajasthan but is long settled in Kochi.
The case originated from a complaint by a Kollam-based businessman engaged in cashew exports to Africa. He reportedly suffered heavy losses during the Covid-19 pandemic after being defrauded by a foreign client.
During an ED investigation into the matter, the businessman was issued a summons.
Around this time, Wilson allegedly approached the businessman, claiming he had influential contacts in the ED and could help “settle” the case.
He demanded Rs 2 crore to be paid in four instalments, in return for halting the ED inquiry.
When the businessman received a second ED summons shortly thereafter, as Wilson had predicted, he grew suspicious and alerted the VACB.
Following a plan to establish evidence, the businessman handed over Rs 2 lakh in cash and made a bank transfer, allowing the VACB to trace the money.
Wilson was caught red-handed while accepting the cash. His arrest led to the subsequent detention of Jain and Warrier. All three are now out on bail, and Kumar has also secured relief from the court.