ED summons Kerala gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh on June 22

Thiruvananthapuram, June 18

The Kochi unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent a notice to gold smuggling case main accused Swapna Suresh to appear before it on June 22.

Swapna had deposed before the magistrate court under Section 164 of the CrPC and had come out in the media that the Chief Minister and his family, including his wife and daughter, were involved in the smuggling racket.

She had given a secret statement before the court under Section 164 which was accessed by the Enforcement Directorate. The ED has now served notice to Swapna on the basis of this 27-page statement.

The ED studied the statement and directed the Kochi unit to conduct further probe on her deposition. The ED has also petitioned the district court for the two statements Swapna had given to the Customs department in two other cases.

Swapna had submitted before the magistrate that Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife Kamala, his daughter Veena, his private secretary CM Raveendran, his former principal secretary Shivshankar IAS and his former principal secretary Nalini Netto IAS (retd) were involved in the racket. — IANS