<p>Kerala Chief Minister's former principal secretary M Sivasankar was being quizzed by the NIA since Monday morning in connection with the gold smuggling case involving the UAE consulate's former employees.</p>.<p>Even as Sivasankar was already placed under suspension, his quizzing assumed much political significance as he was a close confident of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and was handling key matters at the CMO over the last four years.</p>.<p>It is reliably learnt that the NIA was mainly trying to get information regarding the links of one of the key accused, Swapna Suresh, from Sivasankar. Sivasankar had been maintaining that he had a close relationship with Swapna, who was a former executive secretary at the UAE consulate, but was totally ignorant about their smuggling activities. Sivasankar might be a witness in the case.</p>.<p><strong>READ: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/nia-taking-kerala-cm-vijayans-former-principal-secretarys-statement-in-gold-smuggling-case-864749.html" target="_blank">Kerala smuggling: NIA taking statement of Sivasankar</a></strong></p>.<p>The NIA is probing into the terror links of the racket. Senior police officers of NIA are closely supervising the case, in which the role of some employees of the UAE consulate in Kerala was also suspected.</p>.<p>Sivasankar was quizzed by the NIA and Customs earlier also.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the Customs was learnt to have recovered details of banks deposits to the tune of Rs 40 lakh by Swapna and steps were being taken to freeze the deposits. Earlier Rs one core and one kilogram gold were recovered from her bank lockers.</p>
<p>Kerala Chief Minister's former principal secretary M Sivasankar was being quizzed by the NIA since Monday morning in connection with the gold smuggling case involving the UAE consulate's former employees.</p>.<p>Even as Sivasankar was already placed under suspension, his quizzing assumed much political significance as he was a close confident of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and was handling key matters at the CMO over the last four years.</p>.<p>It is reliably learnt that the NIA was mainly trying to get information regarding the links of one of the key accused, Swapna Suresh, from Sivasankar. Sivasankar had been maintaining that he had a close relationship with Swapna, who was a former executive secretary at the UAE consulate, but was totally ignorant about their smuggling activities. Sivasankar might be a witness in the case.</p>.<p><strong>READ: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/nia-taking-kerala-cm-vijayans-former-principal-secretarys-statement-in-gold-smuggling-case-864749.html" target="_blank">Kerala smuggling: NIA taking statement of Sivasankar</a></strong></p>.<p>The NIA is probing into the terror links of the racket. Senior police officers of NIA are closely supervising the case, in which the role of some employees of the UAE consulate in Kerala was also suspected.</p>.<p>Sivasankar was quizzed by the NIA and Customs earlier also.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the Customs was learnt to have recovered details of banks deposits to the tune of Rs 40 lakh by Swapna and steps were being taken to freeze the deposits. Earlier Rs one core and one kilogram gold were recovered from her bank lockers.</p>
