<p>The UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram, which is now under a shadow of suspicions over the suspected involvement of some officials in gold smuggling misusing diplomatic channel, had courted controversies earlier also, right from its establishment.</p>.<p>It was following constant demand from Kerala that the UAE consulate was opened in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016 for catering to the needs of South Indian states - Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.</p>.<p>But even the selection of the location for the consulate in the busy part of the city had raised many eyebrows. It was situated at Manacaud and there was hardly any parking facility for the visitors. Though the Kerala Government later decided to allow 70 cents land on lease near the Kowdiar palace of the erstwhile Travancore royal family for the consulate to set up building, steps in its regard were progressing only at snail's pace.</p>.<p>In 2018, there were allegations that some officials of the consulate were misleading candidates to approach a private agency for obtaining police clearance certificate (PCC) after UAE made PCC mandatory for job visa to UAE. While the PCC was available from Regional Passport Offices for a fee of Rs 500, the private agency was allegedly charging over Rs 5,000. When enquiries were then made to the UAE consulate in this regard, the officials, including then executive secretary Swapna Suresh, refused to give proper clarification. Email queries to the consulate and the UAE embassy in Delhi remained unanswered.</p>.<p>Now, the consulate is facing serious allegations as a couple of former employees have been already arraigned in the gold smuggling case, <em>charge d affaires</em> Rashed Khamis Al Ashmia leaving the country soon after customs seeking permission for quizzing him and a gunman of the counsel trying to end life.</p>.<p>The Customs already got evidence of many attempts of smuggling gold misusing the diplomatic channel and hence it was essential to get the statement of the <em>charge d affaires </em>as the seized baggage was addressed to the consulate. The Ministry of External Affairs has sent repeated letters to the UAE embassy in hopes that the embassy might take steps for Indian investigation agencies to take the statement of <em>charge d affaires</em> at least through video conferencing.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, there were also reports that security agencies in the UAE took Ashmia's statement. The UAE embassy had earlier informed that UAE also launched an investigation and also assured to cooperate with the Indian investigation agencies.</p>
<p>The UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram, which is now under a shadow of suspicions over the suspected involvement of some officials in gold smuggling misusing diplomatic channel, had courted controversies earlier also, right from its establishment.</p>.<p>It was following constant demand from Kerala that the UAE consulate was opened in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016 for catering to the needs of South Indian states - Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.</p>.<p>But even the selection of the location for the consulate in the busy part of the city had raised many eyebrows. It was situated at Manacaud and there was hardly any parking facility for the visitors. Though the Kerala Government later decided to allow 70 cents land on lease near the Kowdiar palace of the erstwhile Travancore royal family for the consulate to set up building, steps in its regard were progressing only at snail's pace.</p>.<p>In 2018, there were allegations that some officials of the consulate were misleading candidates to approach a private agency for obtaining police clearance certificate (PCC) after UAE made PCC mandatory for job visa to UAE. While the PCC was available from Regional Passport Offices for a fee of Rs 500, the private agency was allegedly charging over Rs 5,000. When enquiries were then made to the UAE consulate in this regard, the officials, including then executive secretary Swapna Suresh, refused to give proper clarification. Email queries to the consulate and the UAE embassy in Delhi remained unanswered.</p>.<p>Now, the consulate is facing serious allegations as a couple of former employees have been already arraigned in the gold smuggling case, <em>charge d affaires</em> Rashed Khamis Al Ashmia leaving the country soon after customs seeking permission for quizzing him and a gunman of the counsel trying to end life.</p>.<p>The Customs already got evidence of many attempts of smuggling gold misusing the diplomatic channel and hence it was essential to get the statement of the <em>charge d affaires </em>as the seized baggage was addressed to the consulate. The Ministry of External Affairs has sent repeated letters to the UAE embassy in hopes that the embassy might take steps for Indian investigation agencies to take the statement of <em>charge d affaires</em> at least through video conferencing.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, there were also reports that security agencies in the UAE took Ashmia's statement. The UAE embassy had earlier informed that UAE also launched an investigation and also assured to cooperate with the Indian investigation agencies.</p>
