Demanded two crore as bribe to settle case; ED Assistant Director named first accused by Vigilance, departmental inquiry begins

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered a case against Enforcement Directorate (ED) Kochi unit Assistant Director Shekhar Kumar, naming him as the first accused in a Rs 2 crore bribery case. A departmental inquiry has also begun. He is expected to be taken into custody and questioned soon. This incident has cast a shadow of doubt on the credibility of other ED cases as well.

The bribery came to light when Wilson Varghese (36), a middleman from Thammanam, Ernakulam, was arrested a day ago while accepting Rs 2 lakhs. Subsequently, Mukesh Kumar Jain (55), a native of Rajasthan, was also taken into custody. Both confessed that the bribe was intended for Shekhar Kumar.

Cashew trader Aneesh Babu from Kottarakkara filed the complaint. He had earlier been interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a case involving irregularities in cashew imports. After Aneesh obtained a stay from the Supreme Court, middleman Wilson Varghese approached him with an offer to have the case withdrawn in exchange for a payment. Acting on Wilson's claim, Aneesh received another summons from the ED, at which point he alerted the Vigilance department.

Chartered accountant Ranjith Warrier, a resident of Warriam Road in Kochi, has also been arrested. He is believed to have orchestrated the operations of the middlemen. Financial transactions between Wilson and Shekhar Kumar will be scrutinised in detail. Wilson Varghese is the second accused, Mukesh Kumar the third, and Ranjith Warrier the fourth. All have been sent to Vigilance custody by the court.

Bribe should be deposited in Mumbai account
On May 6th, Wilson approached Aneesh with an offer to have his name cleared from the case. They discussed the matter on two occasions while sitting in a car — once near Kaloor Stadium and again near P.T. Usha Road in Ernakulam. Wilson instructed Aneesh to transfer a total of Rs 2 crore in four instalments of Rs 50 lakh each to a company account based outside Kerala. In addition, Aneesh was asked to pay Rs 2 lakh in cash directly to Wilson. The details of a private bank account registered under a Mumbai-based businessman were also provided.

'Sir, I’m just the middleman'
Wilson was caught red-handed in a BMW car at Panampilly Nagar while accepting the money. Upon his arrest, he claimed the money was not for him and that he was only a middleman. This statement led the Vigilance to track down the ED officer involved. Mukesh Kumar Jain, a hawala operator, was arrested next. It’s believed that Ranjith Warrier had provided Wilson and Mukesh with Aneesh’s details. The bribery operation appears to have been executed in three layers. More arrests are likely.