Meant to curb corruption, ED now caught up in it, says M.A. Baby
Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] General Secretary M.A. Baby has slammed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over emerging allegations of corruption within its own ranks, calling it a case of the fence eating the crop.
He said the agency, long accused of political misuse now faces damning evidence proving its own involvement in corrupt practices.
'The ED, which is supposed to prevent corruption, has itself turned corrupt. Everyone had earlier pointed to its political misuse and now concrete evidence has come out. Let the investigation continue and the facts come to light,' Mr. Baby told media in Kannur.
His statement comes as the Vigilance department intensifies its probe into bribery case involving ED officials from the Kochi unit. Investigators are probing whether retired and transferred officers were part of a ₹2 crore bribe demand made to cashew businessman Aneesh Babu from Kottarakkara.
ED assistant director Shekhar Kumar, the investigating officer in the high profile Kodakara hawala case, is among those under the scanner. Vigilance sources say that bank details and digital evidence point to the involvement of other senior officials at the Kochi ED office.
Following this, notices will be issued to Mr. Shekhar Kumar and other for questioning. Recently, ED agents Wilson Varghese, Rajasthan native Murali Mukesh and chartered accountant Ranjith Warrier in connection with the case.
The CPI(M) has consistently alleged that the ED is being weaponised to target political opponents. The latest revelations appear to bolster those claims, putting the spotlight back on institutional accountability within Central agencies.
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Time of India
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