Kochi/New Delhi | The Enforcement Directorate has arrested a Kerala-based businessman, who had levelled corruption charges against an officer of the agency posted in the state, under the anti-money laundering law, official sources said on Thursday.

Aneesh Babu was taken into custody by the ED at its Kochi office on Thursday in connection with a cashew export linked money laundering case. He is expected to be produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Friday, they said.

The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) office in Ernakulam had in May 2025 booked Sekhar Kumar, an Assistant Director rank officer of the federal probe agency working at its Kochi office, and some others alleging that some private persons approached Babu and "demanded" Rs 2 crore from him in lieu of "settling" a March 2021 registered money laundering case being investigated by the ED against him.

The primary ED case against Babu, his father Babu George and mother Anitha Babu was filed taking cognisance of five FIRs filed by the Kerala Police Crime Branch and Kottarakara Police (Kollam district).

They were charged by the police for "cheating" different persons to the tune of Rs 24.73 crore by promising them to import cashews at low prices from Africa through Vazhavila Cashews, Kottarakara.

Agency sources had earlier said that the allegations against the ED and its officers were a "deliberate" attempt to "tarnish" their image.

The accused ED officer has also told the Kerala High Court that he had a clean service record.