The Kerala High Court has reserved its verdict on the anticipatory bail plea of Sekhar Kumar, a senior Enforcement Directorate (ED) official who has been named as the prime accused in a bribery case filed by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB).
During the hearing, Kumar's legal counsel informed the court that he has been transferred to Shillong, but assured that he is ready to fully cooperate with the investigation. In response, the court extended his interim protection from arrest until a final decision is issued.
The case, filed in May, stems from a complaint by a Kollam-based businessman in the cashew export sector who was allegedly defrauded during the COVID-19 pandemic. After receiving an ED summons, he was contacted by an alleged middleman, Wilson, who offered to &ldquo;settle&rdquo; the case in exchange for a Rs 2 crore bribe.
Wilson was later caught red-handed accepting Rs 2 lakh in a sting operation planned with the help of the VACB. This led to the arrests of Mukesh Jain and chartered accountant Ranjith Warrier, both of whom are currently out on bail.
Kumar, who has since applied for anticipatory bail, has denied any links to the accused and asserted that he has done nothing wrong. He expressed fear of arrest and said he is willing to comply with any court-imposed conditions.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]

Kerala HC Reserves Verdict in ED Officer’s Bail Plea

Sekhar Kumar denies bribery links, court extends interim protection amid high-profile corruption probe

Kerala HC Reserves Verdict in ED Officer’s Bail Plea

Sekhar Kumar denies bribery links, court extends interim protection amid high-profile corruption probe

July 3, 2025 | 18:27 IST