New Delhi, May 19 (PTI) The graft charges made against an ED officer in Kerala recently seem to be a businessman's "deliberate" attempt at "maligning" the agency as he is under their scanner, official sources said here on Monday.
The sources said the allegations were made by businessman Aneesh Babu, being investigated by the ED on money laundering charges. He has repeatedly evaded summonses issued to him in the past four years, they said.
Last week, the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in Ernakulam registered a case against an assistant director-rank officer of the ED's Kochi office.
The VACB alleged that unidentified persons approached the businessman, demanding money to "settle" a money laundering case initiated by the ED against him in March 2021.
However, the official sources countered these claims, stating the money laundering case against the businessman, his father Babu George, and his mother Anitha Babu was initiated based on five FIRs filed by the Kerala Police Crime Branch and the Kottarakara Police (Kollam district).
These police cases accuse the trio of "cheating" individuals to the tune of Rs 24.73 crore by promising low-priced cashew imports through Vazhavila Cashews, Kottarakara.
According to the official sources, the family was first summoned in October 2021 but failed to appear. The agency continued its investigation, gathering bank statements and testimonies from complainants.
Subsequent summonses were issued twice in October 2024, after which the family appeared on October 28 but did not return after the lunch break, the officials said.
The issue has triggered a political storm in Kerala, with Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and the ruling CPI(M) asserting that the ED is rife with corruption and is being exploited to target political adversaries of the central government and extort money from legitimate businesses.
Sources claimed the businessman made "baseless" allegations against the ED officials in front of the media, apparently to "derail" the PMLA investigation against him.
The allegation, they said, appears to be an attempt at triggering a "media trial" with an intent to "malign" the image of the ED and "deflect" attention from the ongoing money laundering case.
The complainant businessman has frequently changed his statements and allegations in the media to "prejudice" local public opinion, the sources claimed.
They said the businessman has filed multiple writ petitions and applications for anticipatory bail before the Kerala High Court and later before the Supreme Court, all of which have been "dismissed".
Sources said the businessman made "contradictory" claims before the media on Sunday as he accused an ED officer in the morning but took the name of some other officer in the afternoon. This shows a "clear intent" to "mislead" the public and "defame" the ED officers, they said.
The ED Kochi unit has now sought a copy of the FIR from the VACB to examine the details of the businessman's allegations.
Sources said the agency remains "committed" to upholding the rule of law and welcomes any fair and impartial inquiry, and it does not shy away from transparency or accountability.
ED maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and is fully committed to uncovering the truth, the sources said, adding all necessary actions will be taken without fear or favour.