Kerala gold smuggling: Minister KT Jaleel phoned Swapna Suresh eight times

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The

gold smuggling

case involving diplomatic channels seemed to involve more higher-ups, following information that higher education minister K T Jaleel and IAS officer M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to the chief minister, figured among frequent callers in the mobile phone call lists of accused

Swapna

Suresh and P S Sarith. Parts of the call lists sourced by investigating agencies NIA and Customs were leaked to the media on Tuesday.

As per call records accessed by the media, there were nine calls and an SMS between Jaleel and Swapna Suresh. While the minister called Swapna

eight times

, she called him once. Jaleel told reporters that he had spoken to Swapna only about distribution of food kits from the UAE consulate.

Sivasankar also appeared before Customs officials at the Customs office in GST Bhavan in the capital by 5pm on Tuesday, in response to a notice served to him in the afternoon. He was being interrogated at the time of filing this report.

The call lists from April 20 to June 1 show that there were 14 calls between Sivasankar and Sarith, who was arrested by customs on July 5 for the gold smuggling bid through Thiruvananthapuram airport. Sarith called Sivasankar nine times while the latter returned five calls. It also shows that Sarith had spoken to Sivasankar just before his arrest.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters on Tuesday that there were still no proper grounds for suspending Sivasankar from service.

"Action will not be delayed if there is substantial evidence to prove his role in the case. From media reports, it has been learnt that he has made contact with the other accused in the case also. The questioning is going on now. If there is any development in the questioning, action will be taken based on that," he said.

He said a committee comprising chief secretary Vishwas Mehta and additional chief secretary (finance) Rajesh Kumar Singh will probe charges against Sivasankar. "Though call records have emerged, the nature of the contact will also have to be probed. The government will take action on the basis of the report,” he said, adding that the same rules will apply to minister Jaleel too.

The CM also denied reports that special branch had earlier warned him about Swapna's illegal activities.

Jaleel told reporters that he had spoken to Swapna about distribution of food kits from the UAE consulate. He said the UAE consulate distributed food kits during Ramzan every year and he had also taken part in such programmes. This year, he received a message from the official phone number of UAE consular general that kits were available for distribution and a person named Swapna Suresh would contact him.

He said he then Thiruvananthapuram: The gold smuggling case involving diplomatic channels seemed to involve more higher-ups, following information that higher education minister K T Jaleel and IAS officer M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to the chief minister, figured among frequent callers in the mobile phone call lists of accused Swapna Suresh and P S Sarith. Parts of the call lists sourced by investigating agencies NIA and Customs were leaked to the media on Tuesday.

As per call records accessed by the media, there were nine calls and an SMS between Jaleel and Swapna Suresh. While the minister called Swapna eight times, she called him once. Jaleel told reporters that he had spoken to Swapna only about distribution of food kits from the UAE consulate.

Sivasankar also appeared before Customs officials at the Customs office in GST Bhavan in the capital by 5pm on Tuesday, in response to a notice served to him in the afternoon. He was being interrogated at the time of filing this report.

The call lists from April 20 to June 1 show that there were 14 calls between Sivasankar and Sarith, who was arrested by customs on July 5 for the gold smuggling bid through Thiruvananthapuram airport. Sarith called Sivasankar nine times while the latter returned five calls. It also shows that Sarith had spoken to Sivasankar just before his arrest.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters on Tuesday that there were still no proper grounds for suspending Sivasankar from service.

"Action will not be delayed if there is substantial evidence to prove his role in the case. From media reports, it has been learnt that he has made contact with the other accused in the case also. The questioning is going on now. If there is any development in the questioning, action will be taken based on that," he said.

He said a committee comprising chief secretary Vishwas Mehta and additional chief secretary (finance) Rajesh Kumar Singh will probe charges against Sivasankar. "Though call records have emerged, the nature of the contact will also have to be probed. The government will take action on the basis of the report,” he said, adding that the same rules will apply to minister Jaleel too.

The CM also denied reports that special branch had earlier warned him about Swapna's illegal activities.

Jaleel told reporters that he had spoken to Swapna about distribution of food kits from the UAE consulate. He said the UAE consulate distributed food kits during Ramzan every year and he had also taken part in such programmes. This year, he received a message from the official phone number of UAE consular general that kits were available for distribution and a person named Swapna Suresh would contact him.

He said he then received 1,000 kits, which were distributed in Edappal and Thriprangode panchayats in Malappuram, and the bills were sent by Consumerfed to the UAE consulate. It was in this connection that Swapna was contacted, asking her to settle the bills of Consumerfed at the earliest, he said.

received 1,000 kits, which were distributed in Edappal and Thriprangode panchayats in Malappuram, and the bills were sent by Consumerfed to the UAE consulate. It was in this connection that Swapna was contacted, asking her to settle the bills of Consumerfed at the earliest, he said.