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On June 2, 2025, the Kerala High Court issued an interim order directing the police not to arrest Shekhar Kumar, Assistant Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kochi, until June 11, 2025.
This decision was made during the hearing of his anticipatory bail application in connection with a ₹2 crore bribery case. The court’s order came after the Public Prosecutor sought additional time and assured that no arrest would be made until the matter is heard.
Case Background
The case involves allegations that Shekhar Kumar demanded a ₹2 crore bribe from Kollam-based businessman Aneesh Babu to halt an ED investigation into financial irregularities. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) registered a case against Kumar and three others—Wilson Varghese, Mukesh Kumar, and chartered accountant Ranjith Warrier—based on Babu’s complaint. A sting operation led to the arrest of Varghese while accepting a portion of the alleged bribe.
Shekhar Kumar has denied any involvement, claiming that the allegations are false and motivated by the complainant’s intent to evade prosecution in multiple fraud cases totaling approximately ₹24 crore.
Next Steps
The Kerala High Court has scheduled the next hearing on Shekhar Kumar’s anticipatory bail application for June 11, 2025. Until then, he remains under interim protection from arrest.
