As Kerala is moving towards Assembly elections next month, the Rs. 100 crore gold smuggling case that erupted last year has once again come back to haunt Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
The custom affidavit has brought a new twist in the case where Swapna Suresh (CM’s ex-secretary), the kingpin in the gold smuggling case, has informed the custom department during her interrogation that Vijayan was very much involved in the gold and dollar smuggling cases and that he was in direct touch with the Consulate General.
She also stated that three other cabinet ministers, along with Kerala speaker P Sreeramakrishnan, were also involved in the gold smuggling case, the Customs Department informed the Kerala High Court.
The accused Suresh has claimed that former principal secretary of the CM M Sivasankar, a senior IAS officer, was the main link between politicians, consulate officials and the smuggling syndicate.
She further said that since she knew Arabic that is why she was often called to translate their conversations in every meeting as a mediator, the customs added.
The CPI(M) has planned marches to the customs office in main cities on Saturday against what it called “selective and deliberate attempt of central agencies to portray the state government in a bad light”.
The sensational gold smuggling case came to light last July after customs seized 30 kg gold from a consignment that came in the name of an official of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.
Later the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and at least four other central agencies are part of the probe now.
The NIA and other agencies had arrested 30 persons in connection with the case including the CM’s former principal secretary, M Sivasankar, and questioned a minister and many others.
