ED quizzes Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's former principal secretary

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's former principal secretary M Sivasankar is being quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with his nexus with gold smuggling accused Swapna Nair.

According to sources, though the Customs and NIA had not yet implicated Sivasankar in the gold smuggling and UAPA cases, he may face ED action as his association with Swapna in managing illegal money was quite evident from the evidences that have surfaced so far.

The ED had already quizzed Sivasankar a few days back and it also stated before a special court in Kochi that Sivasankar is associated with Swapna even as her integrity was dubious.

It had already come out that Sivasankar helped Swapna to open the bank locker with the help of his chartered accountant. Around Rs. one crore in cash and one-kilogram gold were recovered from the locker. Swapna was also believed to have received one crore commission in connection with a housing project in Kerala funded by the UAE's charity outfit Red Crescent.

If the connivance of Sivasankar in these activities is established, he may face action from ED, said sources.

Sivasankar, who has been a close confidant of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the last four years, was placed under suspension after a panel headed by chief secretary Vishwas Mehta reported that Sivasankar, who is a 1995-batch IAS officer, violated service rules. Sivasankar, who was also heading the IT department, allegedly facilitated the appointment of Swapna in Space Park under the department.