Kochi, Mar 31 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate got a jolt as the Kerala High Court ruled on Wednesday that the state police's Crime Branch wing can go ahead in its probe against the Central financial probe agency, based on a complaint received against them.

The court order came on a petition filed by the ED against the Crime Branch's move and seeking a stay on the entire proceedings.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the ED, but still could not get a stay.

But the court, while posting the case for further hearing on April 8 when the final orders would be passed, directed the Crime Branch not to record any arrest or take any such strong measures against any ED official.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had, earlier in March, given the green signal to the Crime Branch to register cases against ED officials based on a complaint by two women police officials that gold smuggling prime accused Swapna Suresh was asked loaded questions and put under pressure to name Vijayan.

According to the two women police officials, who were providing security to Swapna during her judicial custody, and it was during this period that they heard the ED allegedly pressing her to name Vijayan.

Numerous Union Ministers including Home Minister Amit Shah had come down heavily on this move by the Kerala government.

But Vijayan, sticking to his guns and making it an election campaign issue, said he will not be cowed down by threats and these are all undesirable acts by central agencies to discredit and malign his government in the run-up to the April 6 polls.

Vijayan last week also ordered a judicial probe into the same issue.