Kerala HC stays ED official's arrest in ₹2cr bribe case
What's the story
The Kerala High Court has granted interim relief to Shekhar Kumar, Assistant Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kochi. The court has stayed his arrest till June 11 in a corruption case. The decision was taken by Justice PG Ajithkumar after the public prosecutor requested more time and confirmed that no arrest would be made until the next hearing.
Allegations detailed
Businessman accuses ED official of demanding ₹2 crore bribe
The case was filed by businessman Aneesh Babu against Kumar, accusing him of demanding a ₹2 crore payment in order to allow the businessman out of a case the ED had filed against him. The allegations stem from an investigation into Babu's family business, Vazhavila Cashews. The ED had summoned Babu and his parents in 2021 over allegations of fraud worth ₹24 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Fraud uncovered
ED's investigation reveals alleged fraud in cashew business
The ED's investigation found that Babu's family took large advance payments from local cashew traders but didn't deliver the promised imports. A second accused allegedly asked Babu to pay ₹2 crore to Kumar to avoid prosecution. An FIR was filed based on these allegations, which also included a demand for ₹2 lakh on May 15, 2025.
Bail plea
Kumar seeks anticipatory bail, denies involvement in corruption case
Kumar had approached the Kerala High Court on May 24 for anticipatory bail after being named as the first accused in the corruption case registered by the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). He claimed he had been falsely implicated in this case. The charges against him are under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Defense statement
Kumar maintains innocence, accuses complainant of evading legal action
Kumar has maintained his innocence and denied any connection with the second accused. He pointed out that there has been no contact or financial transactions linking him to the alleged bribe demand. The ED official also accused Babu of using this case as a strategy to evade legal action against himself for not cooperating with the ED's investigation and skipping multiple summons.