Kerala gold smuggling case: ED forced Swapna to name CM, says police officer
A Civil Police Officer (CPO) in Kerala has stated that Enforcement Directorate officials pressured Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the gold and dollar smuggling case, to give a statement against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, media reports said. The new twist to the case can have major fallout on the state politics as Kerala goes to the polls next month
A Civil Police Officer (CPO) in Kerala has stated that Enforcement Directorate officials pressured Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the gold and dollar smuggling case, to give a statement against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, media reports said. The new twist to the case can have major fallout on the state politics as Kerala goes to the polls next month.
The CPO’s statement comes days after the ED filed an affidavit in the High Court saying that Swapna had given a statement “about the smuggling of foreign currency at the instance of the Chief Minister and the Speaker with the help of the Consulate”. Vijayan accused Central investigating agencies of “voluntarily” taking up “election campaigns”.
On July 5 last year, 30 kg gold worth ₹ 14.82 crore was seized by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs at the Thiruvananthapuram airport from a diplomatic bag that was meant to be delivered to the UAE Consulate in the state capital.
Also read: Probe by central agencies in Kerala gold smuggling case headed nowhere
The woman police officer was assigned to Swapna Suresh’s security and has said in a handwritten statement, suggesting Swapna was “forced by ED” sleuths to name Vijayan during the interrogation.
The police escort’s statement was recorded in connection with a probe regarding the origin of the audio clip in which Swapna purportedly said that she was being “forced” to name CM Vijayan. However, the police escort claims she is unaware of whom Swapna was talking to in the purported audio clip.
As agencies sought extension of her custody on August 14 of last year, Swapna had alleged that she was being subjected to custodial torture, including sleep deprivation, the police escort said in her statement.
Also read: NIA files chargesheet against 20 in Kerala gold-smuggling case
Referring to the Trivandrum Airport (TRV), CM Vijayan said in a tweet on Monday, “How did TRV – under full control of Union Govt. – become a hub of gold smuggling since BJP came to power?”
