Published 20:16 IST, October 15th 2020
'Let NIA continue probe': Kerala CM on alleged D-Company link with gold smuggling case
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said he wants the NIA to continue the probe in alleged link between some of the Kerala gold smuggling scam accused and the D-company
Amid mounting political pressure over an alleged link between some of the Kerala gold smuggling scam accused and the D-company, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said he wants the National Investigation Agency to continue the probe.
"NIA has come here to carry out the investigation in the case to find out if any such links exist. Let them continue their probe," Vijayan told reporters on being asked if the smuggling case has links with Dawood Ibrahim's D-company.
NIA's claim in court
The gold smuggling scam came to the fore when Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs 15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport on July 5 from a diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate. After the NIA took over the case, it registered an FIR against Sarith Kumar, Swapna Suresh, Fazil Fareed, Sandeep Nair, and others. Various sections of the UAPA were slapped against the aforesaid individuals. The NIA has alleged that the smuggled gold was not used for jewellery purposes but for funding terror activities.
In a sensational claim on Wednesday, the NIA alleged that some of the Kerala gold smuggling case accused might have links to D-company. During the bail plea hearing in Kochi’s NIA court, prosecutor Arjun Ambalapatta submitted that accused KT Rameez and Sharafuddeen had smuggled gold from Tanzania to the UAE and from there to India. He alleged that Rameez has links with Feroze Oasis, who allegedly handles the D-Company's affairs in Tanzania. As per sources, Oasis is believed to be a key member of the criminal syndicate and is fluent in Tamil, Arabic, English, and Hindi.
Politics heat up
Following this, the opposition on Thursday lashed out at the state government. Expressing his shock at this development, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala contended that the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government was supporting the culprits in the smuggling case. Describing Kerala CM's former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar as the "kingpin", he expressed hope that the NIA will unearth all details.
On the other hand, Kerala BJP chief K Surendran demanded the resignation of Vijayan. According to him, the connection between the accused in the case with D-company and ISIS has been established. Reiterating that the state government is trying to shield the smugglers, he opined that the Kerala CM had lost the moral right to continue. Meanwhile, MoS MEA V Muraleedharan acknowledged that this is a serious issue and exuded confidence in the NIA being able to substantiate the UAPA charges against the accused.
Updated 20:16 IST, October 15th 2020