Fun selfie taken with Kerala gold smuggling accused lands cops in serious trouble

BJP and Congress have alleged that Swapna Suresh’s hospitalisation was a drama, which she utilised from making several phone calls.

Six women cops of the Kerala police are in trouble following the emergence of their selfie, clicked with one of the main accused in the gold smuggling case Swapna Suresh, in social media.

Police baton charge on BJP Yuva Morcha activists during their protest march demanding the resignation of Kerala Minister KT Jaleel in Thiruvananthapuram. (PTI Photo)

Earlier they were summoned by Thrissur police commissioner A Aditya, who sought an explanation on the issue. They reportedly told the commissioner that they took the selfie for fun and it never occurred to them that it could land them in such trouble.

The selfie was taken when Suresh was admitted to the Thrissur medical college hospital last week after she complained of chest pain while in judicial custody. Women constables, including the six constables in question, were deputed to guard her there.

The state crime branch has been asked to probe the incident and submit a report at the earliest as all the six women cops have been taken out of their routine duty. The investigation will also probe into the nature of the relationship forged with the accused in such a short span of time and if the women cops lent their phones to Suresh for her use.

The latest incident surfaced at a time when the Congress and BJP leaders have alleged that Suresh’s admission to the hospital was a part of a drama and that she used the opportunity to make several calls from the hospital. There are reports that the National Investigation Agency (NIA), heading the multi-agency probe into the sensational gold smuggling case, has taken up the issue with the senior officers of the Kerala police.

Police manual insists that officers/personnel guarding or escorting the under trials or the convicts should keep personal distance from them and never engage them in private talks. “It is a serious issue. We will take action after the inquiry,” said a senior police official.

Meanwhile, the protests seeking the resignation of higher education minister K T Jaleel continued on Wednesday. He was questioned by the enforcement directorate (ED) on Wednesday. Many protestors were injured in the police baton-charge.

The gold smuggling case came to light on July 5 after the seizure of 30 kg smuggled yellow metal from a diplomatic consignment. Phone call records of Swapna Suresh, one of the main accused in the case, showed that Jaleel was in frequent touch with her. Jaeel claims he called Suresh for seeking her assistance in connection with the Ramadan kits offered by the UAE consulate, as she was a consular employee. The ED has grilled him twice.