Customs Department smells rat over M Sivasankar's illness

The Customs Department is smelling a rat over the illness and hospitalisation of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's former principal secretary M Sivasankar.

In a statement filed at the Kerala High Court opposing Sivasankar's anticipatory bail plea, the Customs is learnt to have said that Sivasankar complained of discomfort and got hospitalised in a bid to evade arrest.

From the medical reports available, it seems that he is only having back pain that requires some medications. That he got admitted to a private hospital where his wife was working is a part of some plan.

The court would be considering the anticipatory bail plea of the suspended IAS officer on Friday. It earlier restrained the Enforcement Directorate and Customs from arresting Sivasankar.

Meanwhile, Sivasankar, who was discharged from Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, is learnt to have been admitted at a private Ayurveda centre for treatment of back pain. He was shifted to the Medical College from the private hospital on Sunday. A medical bulletin from the private hospital said that he did not have any serious coronary ailments but was found to have disc ailments.