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Threatened by CM’s ‘emissary’: Prime accused in Kerala gold smuggling
HT could not verify the authenticity of the audio clip, which reportedly contained some observations against Kerala CM Vijayan and Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
Prime accused in Kerala gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh on Friday released an audio clip containing her conversation with a man who allegedly threatened her to withdraw the statement given to the court alleging chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family’s involvement in the case.
HT could not verify the authenticity of the audio clip, which reportedly contained some observations against CM Vijayan and Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. The conversation is mainly between Swapna Suresh and Shaj Kiran, who the former alleged was an emissary of the CM to mediate and limit further damage.
“Why did you take the name of Veena (CM’s daughter)? The No 1 (CM) will not tolerate anything against his daughter. Your statement under 164 was OK but your disclosure to newsmen later vitiated everything. It is a wicked act on your part,” Shaj Kiran was purportedly heard scolding her in the one-and-a-half-hour-long clip.
Kiran was also heard talking about Vijayan’s and Balakrishnan’s alleged foreign investment.
“You know that the CM’s and Balakrishnan’s funds are diverted to the United States through the Believers’ Church. That is why its accounts were frozen under the FCRA. The game has changed and now many players are there.”
A former journalist, Shaj Kiran is reportedly associated with the Believers’ Church.
But the church disowned him, saying that “he was only a former employee”.
Kiran was heard asking Suresh to withdraw her statement against the CM and his family members and he also took the name of two police officers (ADGP law and order and ADGP vigilance), saying such a solution was put forward by them.
He also said he was “more than what she thinks about him”. He also took the name of one Nikesh Kumar, who he described as the CM’s close aide.
Nikesh Kumar, who heads the Reporter channel, said he was approached by Shaj Kiran to take an exclusive interview with Suresh and he has no idea about other developments.
“It seems the interview was a ploy to implicate me. Many people are working behind it. I knew Kiran as a former colleague only,” said Nikesh Kumar
ADGP law and order Vijay Sakhre has also denied any conversation with Shaj Kiran, adding that he never knew such a person.
In the clip, Kiran was also heard saying that he has made all arrangements to lift travel restrictions on her and many officers promised help in this regard.
“You have spent many months in jail, do you want more? You have to play your card well now otherwise you will be in trouble. Clinch a compromise formula after withdrawing your statement.”
Reacting to the audio release, Kiran said he knew Swapna Suresh only for the last six months and his talk with her was friendly and private, and he never thought she would record and publicise it.
“It seems the audio was heavily edited. Some portions were deliberately left out. It was only a friendly talk. I will take legal action against her,” said Kiran.
However, Suresh insisted that Kiran was introduced to her many years ago by former principal secretary to CM, M Sivasankar, also an accused in the gold smuggling case, saying that he was close to the CM and allegedly looked after his interests abroad.
The sensational gold smuggling case of 2020, in which 30 kg of gold was smuggled through the UAE consulate in the state capital, took a new turn on Tuesday after Suresh allegedly told newsmen that she narrated the role of CM, his family members, two senior IAS officers, former minister K T Jaleel and others in gold and dollar smuggling involved with the UAE consulate in the state capital. She worked at the consulate as the secretary of the attaché from 2016-to 18.
Bid to trigger unrest in Kerala
CPI (M) state secretary Balakrishnan rejected claims in the audio clip and said it was a ploy to weaken the government and trigger unrest in the state. “I went to the US only for treatment, and the party took all expenses. Other than this, I have no other engagement in that country,” he said on Friday.
He said Suresh’s latest statements were part of a political conspiracy to weaken the government.
He added that when smuggling came to light in 2020, CM Vijayan was the first to demand a central agency probe, but later these agencies tried to corner the state government.
“In last two years, other than initial arrests, they could not prove either the source of gold, or its real benefactors. Central agencies were in hurry to link the government with smuggling but that also failed,” he said.
He said it was quite unusual on the part of the accused to reveal confidential statements given to a court. “Her claims are quite contradictory and she was turning a puppet in the hands of forces that are trying to weaken the government,” he said, adding that both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have closed their ranks to weaken an elected government.
He said the party would start a state-wide campaign to expose such forces and go to people soon.
Protest continues
Meanwhile, the state witnessed large-scale protests by opposition parties seeking the resignation of the CM over his alleged involvement in the case.
Police baton-charged and fired water cannons at many places, including Kochi, Kottayam, Kannur and Kollam, injuring many party workers.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan said the embarrassed government was taking knee-jerk actions.
“The CM is sending his henchmen to threaten a woman who stated in a court. If allegations are baseless he should take legal action against her. But, instead of this, he is trying to silence her. Her allegations are serious,” he said.
Counsel for Suresh said he will move the Kerala high court on Monday to quash a fresh case filed against her by Kerala police on Wednesday under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 153 (provocation with an intent to cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on the complaint of K T Jaleel. Her pre-arrest bail plea was rejected by the high court on Thursday after the prosecution informed her that it has no plan to arrest her now.
