PM Modi must intervene to restore credibility of ED: CM Vijayan

Kozhikode, May 20 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore the credibility of the Enforcement Directorate ( ED).

His remarks came as he interacted with the media following the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) registering a First Information Report (FIR) naming an ED official as the prime accused in a high-profile alleged corruption case that has already seen three arrests.

"In the past, there have been doubts about the functioning of the ED, but now, with the latest news that has surfaced with evidence, the PM has to intervene. His intervention is necessary to restore the credibility of the ED," he said, adding that even a bishop had raised concerns about the way the ED was functioning.

The VACB has arrested three people which include chartered accountant Ranjith Warrier, middleman Wilson and Rajasthan resident Mukesh Jain, who has been settled in Kochi for long.

In this case, the VACB has named ED Assistant Director Sekhar Kumar, working at the Kochi office, as the first accused.

The case revolves around a Kollam-based businessman engaged in cashew exports to an African country, who reportedly suffered significant financial losses during the Covid-19 pandemic after being defrauded by a foreign client.

This led to an investigation by the ED, during which the businessman was issued a summons.

Around this time, Wilson allegedly approached the businessman, claiming he had influential contacts within the ED and could help him "settle" the case.

Wilson demanded Rs 2 crore to be paid in four equal instalments, promising that the ED inquiry would be dropped.

Shortly thereafter, the businessman received a second ED summons -- just as Wilson had predicted -- raising his suspicions.

When Wilson later asked for Rs 2 lakh in cash, the businessman alerted VACB officials.

To establish evidence, the businessman was advised to hand over the cash and also make a bank transfer, enabling the officials to track the money trail.

Wilson was caught red-handed while collecting the cash and was taken into custody.

Later, the VACB officials arrested Jain and Warrier.

The VACB, by now, has with them incriminating documents recovered from Warrier which point fingers at the ED official.

Incidentally, Vijayan's criticism of the ED comes at a time when his daughter Veena Vijayan and her now defunct IT firm-Exalogic is under a cloud with agencies like the ED and the SFIO on her trail.

--IANS

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