The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested suspended Indian Administrative Service officer and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijay...
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested suspended Indian Administrative Service officer and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar in the gold smuggling case, ANI reported. He will be produced in court on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the agency had taken Sivasankar into custody from a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for questioning. This happened after the Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition.
Sivasankar had said in his bail petition that investigation agencies had not produced any incriminating material against him, NDTV reported. He also expressed concern that the agencies may act under pressure, since there were constant demands for his arrest.
His bail was opposed by the Enforcement Directorate and the Customs. They argued that the suspended officer was aware of the smuggling activities of key accused Swapna Suresh, according to Hindustan Times.
The Customs Department also alleged that Sivasankar had faked illness to avoid questioning in the case and got admitted to a hospital where his wife worked, according to NDTV.
Also read: Kerala gold smuggling: Suspended IAS officer taken into ED custody as HC rejects anticipatory bail
The National Investigation Agency, which is also conducting an inquiry into the Kerala gold smuggling case, had told a special court in Kochi earlier this month that it suspects two of the accused have links with Pakistan-based gangster Dawood...
