Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to senior Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer Shekar Kumar, the prime accused in a bribery case registered by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), Kerala.
The court had reserved its verdict on Kumar’s plea on July 3 after hearing submissions from ED counsel, who noted that Kumar had been transferred to Shillong and was willing to cooperate with the investigation. The interim protection granted to Kumar was extended until final orders, which were issued Thursday, offering him relief from immediate arrest.
Kumar was named the first accused in the high-profile corruption case filed by VACB in May. The case has already led to the arrest of three individuals—chartered accountant Ranjith Warrier, alleged middleman Wilson, and Mukesh Jain, a Rajasthan native now based in Kochi.
The FIR stemmed from a complaint filed by a Kollam-based businessman involved in cashew exports to Africa. The businessman had incurred major losses during the COVID-19 pandemic after being defrauded by a foreign client. The Enforcement Directorate launched an inquiry, summoning the businessman for questioning.
Around that time, Wilson allegedly approached him, claiming he had powerful contacts within the ED who could “settle” the case. In exchange, Wilson demanded ₹2 crore to be paid in four instalments.
When the businessman received a second ED summons—just as Wilson had predicted—he grew suspicious and alerted the VACB. Under a coordinated plan to gather evidence, the businessman handed over ₹2 lakh in cash and initiated a bank transfer, allowing VACB to trace the transactions.
Wilson was apprehended while accepting the cash, leading to the arrests of Jain and Warrier shortly after. All three are currently out on bail, while Kumar has secured judicial protection from arrest.
(inputs from IANS)