Customs plans to shift Kerala gold smuggling accused to other state

The customs department probing the Kerala gold smuggling case is planning to shift the main accused in the case to a neighbouring state, alleging intervention from many quarters

The customs department probing the Kerala gold smuggling case is planning to shift the main accused in the case to a neighbouring state, alleging intervention from many quarters. Last week, one of the accused, P S Sarith stated before a court that he was pressurised to take the names of the Congress and BJP leaders.

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Five main accused are in jail under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (Cofeposa). One of them, Sarith deposed before a court alleging that the jail authorities were torturing him and forced to take names of the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders to implicate them in the case. But later, the central jail authorities in Thiruvananthapuram denied this and filed a counter-complaint against him and another accused KT Ramees, saying they regularly flout jail norms and discipline.

“It is a serious issue. We are planning to move the high court with a plea to shift these accused to another jail. Threat to Cofeposa detainees is serious, and we also have informed the central government about this,” said a senior customs officer, who did not want to be named. He said the Centre could also move the supreme court to shift all cases relating to the gold smuggling to another state if the situation continued like this.

Earlier, the mother of another accused Swapna Suresh had also alleged that her daughter was facing threat to life for not changing her statements. She had alleged that many in the CM’s office were aware the smuggling was done through the consulate office and that the consulate head used to visit the CM quite often.

The Congress and BJP deplored the alleged move to implicate its leaders. “The ruling CPI(M) will have to pay a heavy price for this,” said state Congress chief K Sudhakaran. “Desperate, the government wants to sully the image of opposition party leaders,” said BJP state president K Surendran.

At least four central agencies (customs, revenue intelligence, enforcement directorate (ED) and NIA) are involved in the gold smuggling probe. The sensational case came to light on July 5 last year after 30 kg gold was seized from a consignment that came to the United Arab Emirates consulate in the state capital camouflaged as a diplomatic consignment. The central agencies and state government have locked horns several times over the case. The government had filed a case against the ED last year and later constituted a judicial commission against it, saying it was trying to implicate many state leaders, including chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the case.