Fri May 23 18:43:59 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the provided text and a rewritten news article:

**Summary:**

A senior officer of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kochi, Kerala, has filed for anticipatory bail with the Kerala High Court after being named as the primary suspect in a corruption case brought by the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). The officer, Shekhar Kumar, is accused of corruption and criminal conspiracy related to an investigation into a cashew trading business. The allegations involve a complainant who claims he was asked to pay Kumar bribes to avoid prosecution in a money laundering case the ED was pursuing. Kumar denies the charges.

**News Article:**

**ED Officer Seeks Bail in Kerala Corruption Case**

**Kochi, May 24, 2025** – A senior officer from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kochi has filed for anticipatory bail with the Kerala High Court after being named as the first accused in a corruption case. Shekhar Kumar, 37, Assistant Director at the ED’s Kochi office, is facing allegations of corruption and criminal conspiracy.

The case stems from a complaint connected to “Vazhavila Cashews,” a cashew trading business under ED scrutiny. The complainant alleges he was told to pay ₹2 crore to Kumar to avoid prosecution in a money laundering investigation initiated by the ED in 2021, involving alleged fraud of ₹24 crore. The complainant further claims he was asked to pay ₹2 lakh as recently as May 15, 2025.

Mr. Kumar is charged under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. In his bail application, Kumar maintains his innocence, stating he has no connection with the second accused in the case. The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) is investigating the allegations. The High Court will hear Kumar’s bail application in the coming days.

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