An Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer stationed in Kochi, Kerala, who is facing accusations of corruption, has been transferred to Shillong, Meghalaya. The transfer comes amidst an ongoing investigation by the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) into allegations that the officer demanded a bribe from a businessman in exchange for leniency in an ED case.
Shekhar Kumar, an Assistant Director with the Kochi unit of the ED, has been named as the primary accused in a case registered by the VACB. The allegations stem from a complaint filed by Aneesh Babu, a Kollam-based businessman involved in cashew exports. Babu claimed that Kumar, through intermediaries, demanded a bribe of ₹2 crore to ensure he wouldn't face further action in a money laundering case the ED was pursuing against him.
According to Babu, the ED's investigation against him began in 2021, with summons issued in connection to alleged misappropriation of ₹24.73 crore related to cashew nut imports. Babu stated he received a summons from the agency and responded through his lawyer. Later, he was approached by Wilson Varghese, who claimed to have connections within the ED and offered to "settle" the case for ₹2 crore, to be paid in installments. When Babu received a subsequent summons, he grew suspicious and contacted the VACB.
The VACB laid a trap, and Wilson Varghese was caught red-handed while accepting ₹2 lakh as an initial payment from Babu. Following Wilson's arrest, two others, Mukesh Jain and Ranjith Warrier (a chartered accountant), were also taken into custody. These individuals have since been granted bail.
While the intermediaries were arrested, Shekhar Kumar himself was neither arrested nor questioned by the VACB. This has raised questions and prompted the ED to launch its own internal inquiry into the matter. The ED has also summoned Aneesh Babu to Delhi to record his statement, maintaining that the bribery case is fabricated and that Babu has no concrete evidence against Kumar. In response, Babu has alleged that ED officials pressured him to withdraw his complaint against the Assistant Director.
The Kerala High Court has also become involved, with Kumar seeking anticipatory bail. The court initially granted him interim protection from arrest and directed him to cooperate with the investigation. However, the court has expressed its dissatisfaction with the VACB's repeated requests for more time to respond to Kumar's bail plea. The State government has informed the Court of its plan to oppose the bail plea with a detailed response and requested more time to complete a forensic analysis of data recovered from the mobile phones of the other three accused.
Amidst the controversy, the ED maintains that it has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and is committed to uncovering the truth. Agency officials have suggested that the allegations against Kumar are an attempt to malign the ED's image by individuals under investigation. They point to inconsistencies in Babu's statements to the media as evidence of his intent to mislead the public.
The ED has sought a copy of the FIR from the VACB to examine the details of the allegations. They assert that they welcome any fair and impartial inquiry and are committed to transparency and accountability.
The transfer of Shekhar Kumar to Shillong is officially being described as part of a nationwide reshuffle of ED officers and not a disciplinary action related to the bribery allegations. P Radhakrishnan, the investigating officer in the Karuvannur bank fraud case, has also been transferred to the agency's Srinagar zonal office.
