Cancel conspiracy case against me, Swapna Suresh to high court

A key accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case Swapna Suresh said the new conspiracy case registered against her was a pressure tactic to get her to withdraw her statement against the chief minister

Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, on Monday moved the Kerala high court to seek orders to quash the conspiracy case filed against her by former minister KT Jaleel last week.

The BJP said the Kerala government should stop trying to intimidate Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, for her statement against the chief minister (ANI)

In her petition, she reiterated her charges against the chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his family members, former ministers including Jaleel and IAS officers. She said the latest case registered on June 7 - she has five other cases - was a pressure tactic to get her to withdraw her statement and there was a conspiracy to silence her.

“My crime is that I told truth. That too, I said it before a magistrate. Is it a crime to give a confidential statement in the court?” she said after coming out of the high court. She filed another petition in the court seeking central protection, saying she has lost faith in the state police and its personnel were literally stalking her.

Suresh told a magistrate under section 164 of the CrPC that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan tried to silence her in connection with the gold smuggling case which came to light after 30kg of gold worth ₹15 crores was found in diplomatic bags seized at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport by the Customs on July 5, 2020.

Swapna Suresh reiterated that she gave a statement under 164 as her life was in danger and she was pressurised not to take names. She said she has no political connection or affiliation and she has no plan to denigrate any person or damage his image.

After she recorded her statement and spoke to media last week, Jaleel lodged a complaint accusing her of trying to incite a riot and weaken the government in power. She was later booked under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 153 (provocation with the intent to cause riot) of the IPC.

Meanwhile, the state witnessed multiple protests to demand the chief minister’s resignation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party held a press conference in Delhi which was addressed by two ministers, Rajiv Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan.

“There is an unprecedented crisis in Kerala. The CM must stop intimidating a woman who gave a statement before a court,” said Chandrasekhar. On reports that the police disallow any black-coloured items at event attended by the CM, Chandrasekhar said this was quite unheard of. “Even umbrellas are not allowed in his meetings. It seems he is more fascist than Hitler. People who always take a moral high ground on rights issues should see these rights violations in Kerala,” said Muraleedharan.

But the chief minister insisted that there was no ban on any colour or dress in the state. “Opposition parties are spreading misinformation to damage the image of an elected government. Everyone in the state has the right to wear any dress or any colour. Some people are spinning false stories,” he said in Kannur, adding that trumped-up protests would not do any damage to his government.