Bizman who accused ED officer of bribery denies having proof

A Kerala-based businessman, who had levelled bribery allegations against an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer, has told the agency that he has no evidence or knowledge implicating the officer, official sources said here on Sunday.

Aneesh Babu appeared before the ED in Delhi on June 6 and recorded his statement under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which allows admissibility in court.

Earlier, the Kerala High Court had directed Babu to appear before the agency after he skipped an initial summons dated May 30. After he told the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) about the alleged bribery case, a case was filed against ED Assistant Director Sekhar Kumar and others.

Babu had claimed private individuals demanded Rs 2 crore to “settle” a 2021 money laundering case against him.

Following the FIR, the ED’s Special Task Force in Delhi registered its own case. However, during questioning, Babu denied knowing any ED official, claiming he was only familiar with one accused, Wilson, arrested by the VACB for taking an initial bribe of Rs 2 lakh.

Babu also failed to produce evidence, including WhatsApp call records, he previously cited. Sources alleged that Babu may have been “guided” to malign the agency.

Meanwhile, the ED maintains that the bribery charge is a ploy to derail its Rs 24.73 crore money laundering probe against Babu and his family over a cashew import fraud. Both Babu and ED officer Kumar have been granted temporary relief by the High Court.