Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s additional private secretary CM Raveendran on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with the gold smuggling case.
Raveendran has already been summoned four times by the Central agency. He was first summoned last month, but he could not appear as he had tested positive for Covid-19. Later, he stayed away citing post-covid complications. He was issued fresh summons after he was discharged from Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital last week.
Raveendran has also moved the high court, seeking anticipatory bail but the ED has opposed it, saying he was not made an accused in any case. The court is expected to hear his plea later in the day.
CM’s other secretary, senior Indian Administrative Service officer, M Sivasankar, is already in judicial custody in connection with the case. Raveendran was summoned on the basis of Sivasankar’s statement, said a senior official of the multi-agency probe team, requesting anonymity.
Also read | Main accused in Kerala gold smuggling case says her life under threat
{{/usCountry}}Also read | Main accused in Kerala gold smuggling case says her life under threat
{{/usCountry}}Last week, the CM had defended him saying he was keeping away from questioning due to ill-health. He said the Central agencies can’t do anything against him as “he holds a good track record”. He had criticised the agencies, alleging that they were acting as per the script prepared by their masters in Delhi.
The gold smuggling racket was uncovered on July 5 after the seizure of 30 kgs of the metal from a consignment addressed to the United Arab Emirates consulate in the state Capital. A multi-agency team headed by the National Investigation Agency is probing the case and 34 people have been arrested so far.