Kochi, July 10 (IANS): The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer Shekar Kumar, who is the prime accused in a bribery case registered by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) of Kerala.
The High Court had reserved its order on July 3 after hearing arguments from Kumar’s counsel, who stated that the officer had already been transferred to Shillong and was willing to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation. Interim protection granted earlier was extended until the final ruling, which came as a relief for Kumar on Thursday.
The bribery case, registered in May, stems from a complaint filed by a Kollam-based businessman involved in cashew exports to Africa. The businessman alleged that he suffered significant financial losses during the Covid-19 pandemic due to fraud by a foreign client. When the ED began investigating the matter and summoned him, he was allegedly approached by a man named Wilson.
Wilson claimed to have connections within the ED and offered to “settle” the case in exchange for Rs 2 crore, to be paid in four instalments. After receiving a second ED summons — as Wilson had predicted — the businessman grew suspicious and contacted the VACB.
Acting on the tip-off, the VACB laid a trap. The businessman handed over Rs 2 lakh in cash and made a bank transfer as part of the deal. Wilson was caught red-handed during the transaction, leading to the arrest of two others — Chartered Accountant Ranjith Warrier and Mukesh Jain, a Rajasthan native living in Kochi.
All three were later released on bail. With the High Court’s order, Shekar Kumar now also enjoys anticipatory bail while the investigation continues.
