Kerala gold smuggling case: Swapna Suresh summoned by ED

The Kochi unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent a notice to gold smuggling case main accused Swapna Suresh to appear before it on June 22. Swapna had deposed before the magistrate court under Section 164 of the CrPC on June 7 and later, addressing the media, had alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family were involved in the smuggling racket.

Swapna had given a statement before the court under Section 164, which was accessed by the Enforcement Directorate. The ED has now served notice to Swapna Suresh on the basis of this 27-page statement. The ED has studied the statement in detail and directed the Kochi unit to conduct further investigation on her deposition. The ED has also petitioned the District Court for the two statements Swapna Suresh had given to the Customs department in two other cases.

In the statement under 164 CrPC, Swapna Suresh had submitted before the magistrate that Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife Kamala, his daughter Veena, his Private secretary CM Raveendran, his former Principal Secretary Shivshankar IAS, and his former Principal Secretary Nalini Netto IAS, who has retired from service, were involved in the gold smuggling racket that had rocked Kerala.

Along with her statement under 164 CrPC, she had also filed an affidavit, which came out in the public domain on June 15. In the affidavit, she has alleged that in 2017, Pinarayi sought help from the visiting Sharjah ruler for his daughter's bid to open an IT business in the emirate. She also claimed that Pinarayi, Kamala, Veena, Sivasankar and Nalini Netto were also present during the meeting.

The affidavit came out a day after Swapna threatened to ‘expose’ Pinarayi's 'lie' that he did not know her. "Very soon, through you (media), I will remind him on my presence at the Cliff House (official residence of Vijayan) discussing things in the presence of his wife Kamala, their daughter Veena, and their son and taking decisions. If he has forgotten that, then I will remind him,” she had said.

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