Kochi: A special court on Monday granted bail to Unitac Builders owner Santhosh Eappen in the LIFE Mission bribery case.

While hearing Eappen's bail petition, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed that the petitioner had cooperated with the probe into alleged financial irregularities in implementing a flagship housing project of the Kerala government. 

Last week, ED arrested Eappen after summoning him for questioning. Later, he was granted custody till March 23 by the Special Court (for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act).

Eappen is the first accused in the case of the alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulations) Act in the Life Mission housing project.
The ED had earlier arrested M Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in connection with the case. 

The two companies, Unitac Builders and Sane Ventures had undertaken the construction based on the agreement entered into with the Red Crescent, an international humanitarian movement, that had agreed to provide Rs 20 crore for the Life Mission project.

The probing agency had found that Eappen had paid commission to the other accused to obtain the contract for the Life Mission project.

The other accused in the case are gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh, PS Sarith and former UAE Consulate accountant and Egypt native Khalid.