Kerala gold smuggling case: ED pressurised key accused Swapna Suresh to name CM Pinarayi Vijayan, claim police officers

The officials, Siji Vijayan and Rajimol, were on security duty during Suresh’s interrogation by the ED

Two Kerala police officials have claimed that they came across ED officials pressurising Swapna Suresh, the main accused in the gold smuggling case, to name Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the case.

The officials, Siji Vijayan and Rajimol, who were on security duty during Suresh’s interrogation by the ED, gave their statements to a Kerala police team probing an audio conversation believed to be that of Suresh.

Rajimol also said that the ED offered to make Swapna an approver in the case if she stated that the money recovered from her bank locker was given by the Chief Minister to his former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar.

CPM, Customs locked in legal battle over statement against Vijayan

Kerala CPM on Tuesday initiated legal action against the Customs Commissioner (Preventive) in Kochi by accusing him of leaking a confidential statement by gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh that linked Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Speaker and three other ministers to smuggling activities.

The Customs Commissioner recently filed an affidavit before the Kerala High Court stating that gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh had said in her statement that Vijayan, Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and three ministers had illegal dealings with the former UAE consul general in Thiruvananthapuram.

K J Jacob, a CPM leader from Kochi, has moved a petition and state Advocate General C P Sudhakara Prasad has sought remarks from the Customs Commissioner on the matter before proceeding further, it was learnt.

Jacob said in the petition that the Customs Commissioner leaked out the confidential statement given by Swapna before the magistrate and hence, action should be taken against him under contempt of court. He also said that, as per norms, only investigation officers can see the contents of a confidential statement. The Customs Commissioner had gone through it even as he was not the investigation officer and misused it.