Shot in the arm for Kerala CPM's fight against central agencies

Sandeep Nair said that the ED pressuried him to link Vijayan, ex-Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and K T Jaleel

A statement of an accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case that the Enforcement Directorate pressurised him to link Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and two others in the previous left front government with the smuggling racket seems to have come as a relief to the left front.

Sandeep Nair, who was the fourth accused in the gold smuggling case, told the media on Saturday after getting released on bail that the ED pressuried him to link Vijayan, former Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and former minister K T Jaleel.

Former CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan swiftly reacted that the court should take note of Nair's revelation as it was quite serious one.

It may be recalled that though the Kerala government earlier initiated a case against ED official accusing them of pressuring the gold smuggling case accused to name the Chief Ministers and others, the Kerala High Court quashed it. A judicial probe initiated by the Kerala government against the central agencies was also stayed by the court.

Nair, who was made an approver in the case, had earlier sent a letter to the court raising similar allegations. He said that he would stick to it. He also said that he had no involvement in gold smuggling but only knew the accused Swapna Suresh and Sarith P S, who were former employee of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.

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