JOIN USKerala CPM leader's wife also under Customs scanner; Customs allege of intimidation by left-front
Kerala CPM former state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's wife Vinodini was caught between the ongoing tussle between the Customs and the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala with the Customs seeking a statement and asking her to appear on Wednesday.
A top Customs official alleged that the LDF is trying to intimidate them by raising allegations of a political ploy by the central agency.
According to sources, a mobile phone worth around Rs. 1.13 lakh said to be gifted by a private firm to former UAE consulate in Kerala as a kickback to former UAE consulate general in Thiruvananthapuram was found to be used by Vinodini. In this connection, the Customs issued a notice to her.
Top sources also confirmed that Kerala Assembly speaker P Sreeramakrisnan's statement would be also recorded in connection with his suspected links with dollar smuggling.
On Friday, the Customs office said in an affidavit filed before the Kerala High Court that key accused in the gold smuggling case Swapna Suresh had stated in her confidential statement that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Speaker and three ministers carried out illegal transactions with the UAE consul general.
Meanwhile, the LDF on Saturday staged protest marches in the state alleging that the central agency was acting as per the political ploy of the BJP government at the Centre with polls around the corner.
The opposition Congress and BJP are trying to make these developments a major campaign issue against the ruling government. Leaders of both parties are also demanding a detailed probe against the Chief Minister.
The row over the mobile phone had surfaced several months ago. The initial allegation was that Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala received one of the six costly phones bought by Santosh Eapen, managing director of the private firm entrusted with the construction of the UAE agency-funded housing scheme of the Kerala government. Eapen had earlier stated that he had handed over the phones to gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh.
However, Chennithala had denied the allegation. Balakrishnan, who was then the CPM state secretary, had also attacked Chennithala over the issue. Balakrishnan later stepped down from CPM state secretary post citing health reasons. But the arrest of his son Bineesh Kodiyeri in connection with the Bengaluru drug peddling case was learnt to have forced him to step down.