Court grants bail to Ananda Kumar in first case of half-price scam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The court has granted bail to K N Ananda Kumar in the first case related to the half-priced scam. Bail was granted in the case registered by the Muvattupuzha police. He was arrested after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected. His arrest was registered in almost 30 cases. He will continue in jail as bail has not been obtained in other cases.

The case against Ananda Kumar, executive director of Sai Gramam, is that he embezzled Rs 500 crore promising scooter, laptop and sewing machines for half- price. He was remanded by additional chief judicial magistrate Elsa Catherine George. The crime branch took him into custody in March 2025 soon after the Thiruvananthapuram principal district sessions court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the fraud case in Kannur. While considering his anticipatory bail plea, the court rejected Ananda Kumar's claim that the money had been deposited in the trust's account and that he had no direct involvement or knowledge of the financial transactions.