Kerala Vigilance books ED official in corruption case

Kochi | A senior official of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been booked by the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in a corruption case.

The officer, attached to the Kochi unit of the central agency, was booked as the first accused in the corruption case registered as per the complaint of a businessman, VACB sources said.

Three persons, including a chartered accountant, have already been arrested in the case for allegedly seeking a bribe of Rs two crore from the businessman not to arraign him in an ED case, they said.

As per the remand report submitted by the VACB before the court, the ED official is the key accused in the case.

The other accused were arrested on Friday, while the Kochi-based chartered accountant was arrested on Saturday, a senior VACB official said.

S Sasidharan, VACB Superintendent, Ernakulam, told reporters here that a detailed investigation is progressing in the case and the ED official was booked based on the statement of the complainant.

The accused ED official is yet to be arrested, he said.

"The complainant has mentioned the name of the ED official in his complaint. So, he has been named as the prime accused in the FIR. A detailed investigation is to be conducted and more things are to be verified in that aspect," he said.

When reporters asked whether the ED official was booked as there was strong evidence against him, the VACB official didn't give any direct reply.

If there are clear remarks against anyone in a complaint, that person would be arraigned as accused in the case, the official said.

He further said more details could not be divulged at the moment as a probe is underway.