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Gold smuggling case: CM Vijayan was aware of everything, says Swapna
Vijayan, however, rejected Swapna’s comments terming them as “wild allegations raised by an accused with contempt”.
Swapna Suresh, one of the main accused in the 2020 gold smuggling case, on Tuesday raised serious allegations against Pinarayi Vijayan and his family, saying the Kerala chief minister was “aware of everything”.
Swapna Suresh, who complained threat to her life two days back, gave a statement before a magistrate in Kochi on Tuesday.
Talking to newsmen after coming out of the court, she said Vijayan was “aware of everything” and she told the court about the role of his family members, senior bureaucrats M Sivasankar, Nalini Netto, former minister KT Jaleel, CM’s private secretary CM Raveendran and others.
“It all began in 2016 when the CM was on a trip to the UAE. I was the secretary in the consulate and his principal secretary M Sivasankar contacted me for the first time saying the CM had forgotten to take one of the bags and it had to be taken to Dubai immediately. We sent the bag through a diplomat but before it we scanned and found the bag was filled with currency. That is how all it started,” Swapna said.
Vijayan, however, rejected Swapna’s comments terming them as “wild allegations raised by an accused with contempt”.
She also alleged “biryani vessels” containing some heavy metals were taken to the CM’s official residence (Cliff House) from the consulate general’s office several times under the instruction of Sivasankar. “I have told the court about the role of everyone. I have limitations in telling everything now. If I get a chance, I will talk about everything later,” she said.
Though Swapna raised serious allegations against Sivasankar, after his autobiography was released in February, this is the first time she is taking the name of CM and his family.
“There is a threat to my life. So, I decided to give a statement to the court disclosing everything. I took names of different people and their role in whole exercise (smuggling),” she said.
The CM’s office issued a statement saying it was a ploy to denigrate the government that is committed for development welfare of people. “The state government was first to demand a central agency probe into the smuggling case. Many agencies tried to implicate important people but failed. People will reject such wild allegations raised by an accused with contempt,” Vijayan was quoted as saying in the statement.
She was released from the jail in November last year after spending 16 months in jail. She was arrested by the National Investigation Agency from Bengaluru on July 11, 2020 after seizure of 30 kg gold worth ₹15 crore hidden in bathroom fittings that came to the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.
At the time of arrest, Swapna, a former employee of the consulate, was working with the government-owned Space Park as a senior consultant. Later, Sivasankar was suspended from service and arrested by the Enforcement Directorate.
People close to Swapna said she decided to open up after Sivasankar disowned her badly in his autobiography and “some state agencies hounded her badly after her release from the jail.” Earlier, she complained when she was in jail, she was forced to write a complaint that central agencies were forcing her to take the name of important people including the CM. Later, the state government filed cases against the ED officials and they were later quashed by the High Court.
Opposition Congress and BJP said her revelations were serious and sought the resignation of the CM. “He will be the first CM to involve in currency and gold smuggling cases. He has no right to continue in his office,” said Congress state president K Sudhakaran.
Leader of opposition and Congress leader VD Satheesan said: “In solar case, the CM ordered an inquiry based on the statement of a woman who is an accused in more than 40 cheating cases. But we suspect an understanding between the Centre and state governments so many cases including gold smuggling were weakened deliberately.”
BJP state president K Surendran said: “He can’t get away by keeping stony silence. The party will have intervened and seek his resignation. No other CMs never faced such grave charges.”
Sivasankar said: “She has said so many things earlier also. I don’t want to comment on them.” Former chief secretary Nalini Netto also refused to comment.
Workers of Youth Congress and Yuva Morch took out processions before the state secretariat carrying biryani vessels. The ruling CPI(M) is yet to react on the fresh allegations.
