Published 23:22 IST, October 28th 2020
Kerala gold smuggling probe: ED arrests Kerala CM's ex-principal secy M Sivasankar
In a massive development, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's ex-principal secretary M Sivasankar on Wednesday, was placed under arrest by the Enforcement Directorate
In a massive development, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's ex-principal secretary M Sivasankar on Wednesday, was placed under arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after being taken into custody - 10 hours ago. The Kerala High Court had anticipatory denied bail to Sivasankar, earlier in the day after which he was taken into custody by ED. Sources report that the ED has levelled money laundering and Benami charges against Shivshankar, in the Kerala gold smuggling case.
CM's ex-principal secy arrested
Arguments in court
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Suryaprakash V Raju had submitted the sealed case diary to the judge stating categorically that it had clear evidence which shows Sivasankar made calls to customs officials not to check baggage that came via diplomatic channels. Emphasising that economic offences have 'deep-rooted conspiracies', he said Sivasankar is directly involved with the proceeds of the crime highlighting "Swapna was totally under Sivasankar's control". Swapna Suresh - the main accused in the case, has been granted bail by the Economic Offences Court in Kochi in the case filed by the Customs department, but she remains in jail after being named in the NIA case. She has admitted to NIA that CM Pinarayi Vijayan was aware of her appointment in the consulate, and 11 people have been arrested till date- including her.
What is the gold smuggling case?
On July 5, Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs.15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate. Sarith Kumar, who worked at the UAE Consulate and was arrested, told the Customs about the role of Swapna Suresh, an ex-Consulate employee working as the manager of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited. The NIA which took over the case on July 9 confiscated a bag containing documents of dubious financial dealings while arresting Suresh and Nair.
The case took a political turn after photos of Suresh with CM Pinarayi Vijayan surfaced allegedly attending several parties where he was present. Moreover, Principal Secretary to CM M Sivasankar has been replaced after his role in hiring Suresh and his contact with her came under probe and has been questioned several times by the ED. Opposition has unsuccessfully moved a no-confidence motion against the CM, demanding his resignation.
Updated 23:22 IST, October 28th 2020