Kochi (Kerala): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Swapna Suresh, the main accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, here on Monday after questioning her for five and a half hours. Suresh was questioned for at least 11 hours for two consecutive days in the last week. Suresh told ANI, “I am no one to answer (Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan). Let the interrogation end. Kerala CM Pinarayi came back from the ED, reacting to Vijayan’s denial of allegations.
Suresh had alleged involvement in the case along with CM Vijayan, his wife and daughter, who claimed that the goods were sent to Vijayan in 2016 when Vijayan was in Dubai on the instructions of Sivashankar.
Earlier this year, Swapna Suresh alleged that she was exploited and manipulated by M Sivashankar, principal secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Sivashankar, in his upcoming autobiography “Ashwathamavu: Verum Oru Aana”, alleged that Swapna had implicated him by gifting him an iPhone.
“Long ago in 2016, when the Chief Minister was in Dubai, Shivshankar contacted me. At that time, I was the secretary in the consulate. Shivshankar told me that the CM had forgotten a bag, which should be immediately delivered to Dubai. Consulate General On the instructions of the consulate, the bag was handed over to a diplomat at the consulate. When the bag was brought by the consulate official, we realized that it contained currency. We have a scanning machine at the consulate. Then we have to scan Whatever parcel comes there. That’s how it all started,” she had said.
The prime accused in the gold smuggling scam in his address to media persons on Monday said, “The Crime Branch has summoned me today on the basis of the complaint of KT Jaleel and on the basis of statements of eminent personalities like Sarita S Nair. But I will. Today. Will not be able to go as ED is still interrogating me. I am going to ED now. Once they complete their inquiry, after that I will go to crime branch. I have already informed the superintendent of police and concerned authorities . ”
Thiruvananthapuram Cantonment Police has registered a case against Swapna on June 8 this year on the complaint of Jaleel and has sought an inquiry into the allegations leveled against him by Swapna Suresh in the gold smuggling case alleging that she conspired and made defamatory statements against him. Police have registered a case against him under section 153 (incitement to cause riot) and section 120B (criminal conspiracy).
The ED questioned him in connection with his 164 statements in court and the charges against Vijayan and his family became controversial. An affidavit submitted by Swapna Suresh alleged that 17 tonnes of dates imported to Kerala from UAE along with Vijayan and former minister KT Jalil had ‘missing’ knowledge.
The gold smuggling case in Kerala is related to the smuggling of gold into the state through diplomatic channels. This was revealed after 30 kg of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore was smuggled in a consignment after the Customs department busted diplomatic goods in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5, 2020.
After spending 16 months behind bars, Swapna was released from jail in November last year. The matter is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Customs Department. Sivashankar was arrested on October 28, 2020, after the Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. Shivshankar was released on bail on February 4 last year.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, however, said there was no need to answer the allegations against him every time in the gold smuggling case. His remarks came in response to questions from reporters in Thiruvananthapuram regarding the allegations leveled against him and his family in the disclosures made by prime accused Swapna Suresh in the gold smuggling case.
The CM said similar allegations were made even before the 2021 assembly elections and there was widespread speculation about his involvement.
The investigation by the investigating agencies, however, found nothing objectionable against him, he said and said that despite all those allegations against him, the public did not believe him and his government came to power again. He said, ‘People do not believe all this because our life is an open book before them.
Regarding the allegations against his family members in the gold smuggling case, Kerala CM Vijayan said that he was aware that such people were actively encouraging such allegations, but he was confident that it was his Will not spoil public life as people know the intention behind it. Asked why he didn’t opt for trial if he felt Suresh’s statement of 164 was not correct, Vijayan said, “Let me worry about it”.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly VD Satheesan alleged that there are different rules for different accused in the case of the LDF government. Satheesan claimed that one of the accused, M Sivashankar, was reinstated in service and was allowed to write a revealing book about the case, registering a case of conspiracy against Suresh for making disclosures in his 164 statements was.
Satheesan further alleged that the CM was worried that he might be implicated in the case and that is why PS Sarit, another accused in the case, was suddenly picked up by the vigilance officers and his phone was confiscated following the revelations by Suresh.
(With ANI/PTI Inputs)