
Vigilance to record statements of new complainants in ED bribery case in Kerala
VACB has so far arrested Wilson, Mukesh Jain—a Rajasthan native based in Kochi—and chartered accountant Renjith Warrier in connection with the case. ED assistant director Shekar Kumar is named as the first accused.
'All of them were approached by Wilson, who allegedly demanded bribes to halt ED investigations against them. We are currently probing whether the ED officer has any direct connection with the arrested individuals. Any action against the officer will only be taken based on solid evidence. The investigation is now at a crucial stage,' the official said.
The three arrested individuals will remain in VACB custody till Thursday. A team led by VACB SP S Sasidharan, along with two DySPs, is handling the interrogation. The ED officer will be questioned later.
'The officer's statement is necessary as he is an accused in the case. However, it will be recorded only after we complete evidence collection and obtain maximum information from the other accused individuals,' the VACB officer said.
Meanwhile, the ED has denied any connection to the bribery case, claiming it is part of a conspiracy by the complainant to derail the probe against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Delhi HC grants 15-day interim bail to man accused in fake cancer drug case
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has recently granted 15 days interim bail to Lovee Narula, an accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, for his alleged role in a syndicate distributing counterfeit anti-cancer drugs. The order was passed by the vacation bench of Justice Tejas Karia on June 9. The bail was granted to allow Narula to take care of his critically ill mother and make necessary arrangements for her medical treatment. This includes MRI scans, consultations, hospitalisation, surgical procedures and rehabilitation. Narula was arrested in 2021 from Punjabi Bagh in West Delhi. According to police, he was involved in black-marketing of medicines and injections that were needed during the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Narula, who lives in Paschim Vihar, reportedly obtained these injections through his associate, Rahul, and sold one of them for Rs 3 lakh. During the court hearing, Advocate Amit Chadha, representing Narula, told the court that Narula is the only male family member available to care for his mother. 'Due to Applicant's non-availability, no substantive progress has been made in his mother's treatment and her health continues to deteriorate owing to the absence of necessary medical treatment,' he submitted.


Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
ED flags deep conspiracy in Bhoodan land case; top officials, bizmen under lens
1 2 Hyderabad: In a major revelation, Enforcement Directorate (ED) has informed the Telangana high court that large-scale fraudulent transactions have taken place in the sale of Bhoodan land in Nagaram village in Rangareddy district. The central agency, in its counter-affidavit, claimed land sales registered in survey numbers 181, 182, 194, and 195, including 50 acres of Bhoodan land, were executed without valid ownership by the sellers. The buyers reportedly include senior bureaucrats and businessmen. ED has identified Mohammed Abdul Shukur as the key conspirator behind the fraudulent land deals. Shukur allegedly sold the land using forged documents and fabricated ownership claims, falsely asserting that he had purchased the land back in 1992. However, ED investigations revealed that Shukur had no legal title over the land, and his claims were entirely fictitious. "The actual owner of the land was one Haji Nawab Khan, who held 779 acres in the village," said Gajraj Singh Thakur, assistant director, ED Hyderabad. "By 1957–58, Khan had already sold 564 acres—specifically in these disputed survey numbers—to tenants. The remaining land was gifted to his sons and others, leaving no scope for sale in 1992," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pinga-Pinga e HBP? Tome isso 1x ao dia se tem mais de 40 anos Portal Saúde do Homem Clique aqui Undo Citing a 1977 order by the land reforms tribunal, ED underlined the said land had already changed hands legally by the late 1950s. Despite this, Shukur allegedly manipulated records to show purchases in 1992, it alleged. ED flagged particularly suspicious transactions where Shukur's minor relatives—aged just 2 and 9 — were shown as purchasers of land in survey No. 194 from the late Nawab Haji Ali Khan. "This clearly indicates foul play and warrants a detailed probe into the authenticity of the documents and revenue records," the agency said. Shukur has already been named in two FIRs — No. 110/2023 and No. 331/2024 — pertaining to grabbing land using forged documents. ED said although its current probe focuses on survey No. 194, the same pattern of fraud appears to extend to survey numbers 181, 182, and 195. The scam, it said, was enabled by forged documentation, manipulation of land records, and a systemic failure—or collusion—of revenue officials. "Our investigation has revealed a deep-rooted conspiracy involving the use of forged documents, deliberate tampering of revenue records, and a complete disregard for facts present in official land records," the ED officer said. The agency added that the role of govt officials—from tahsildar to mandal to CCLA level—is under scrutiny, and further revelations are expected as the investigation progresses. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .


India Gazette
13 hours ago
- India Gazette
"For entire 5 years, they have done corruption": Chhattisgarh CM slams opposition for alleged Liquor scam
Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 14 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the opposition Congress, accusing it of large-scale corruption during its tenure, in connection with the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam. Speaking to the media, CM Sai asserted that central and state agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), are conducting a comprehensive investigation into the case, and assured that strict action will be taken against those found guilty. 'For the entire 5 years, they have done corruption. Now, central and state agencies are investigating it, and action will definitely be taken against the culprits. If they feel that injustice is being done to them, then they can definitely go to court. And what can they do? They can do this only because they are in the opposition,' he said. This comes after the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Raipur Zonal Office provisionally attached three immovable properties worth Rs 6.15 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam case. According to the ED, Congress Bhawan, Sukma, residential house at Raipur in the name of Kawasi Lakhma and residential house at Sukma in the name of Harish Kawasi (son of Kawasi Lakhma) have been attached. In a statement, ED initiated an investigation based on the FIR registered by the ACB/EOW Chhattisgarh under various sections of the IPC, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, regarding the liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. ED investigation revealed that Kawasi Lakhma, the then Excise Minister of Chhattisgarh, was receiving Rs 2 crore per month out of the liquor scam, receiving POC Rs 72 crore in 36 months. As per the official statement, the investigation led to the seizure of crucial pieces of evidence, which demonstrated Kawasi Lakhmain's utilisation of cash in the construction of the properties mentioned above. Rs 68 lakh was employed in the construction of Congress Bhawan, Sukma; Rs 1.40 crore was utilised in the construction of the house of Harish Lakhma, and Rs 2.24 crore was utilised in the construction of his own house at Raipur. Kawasi Lakhma is presently under judicial custody. ED investigation revealed that the corruption in the liquor scam, which ran between 2019 and 2022, resulted in a massive loss to the state exchequer and generation of more than Rs 2161 crore worth of POC by commission of predicate offences, as per the release. It is pertinent to mention here that the said attachment continues the previous attachment of immovable properties having a value of nearly Rs 205 crore. Further investigation is in progress. (ANI)