Kochi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) interrogated M Sivasankar, Kerala chief minister's former principal secretary and the former IT secretary, at its Kochi office for nine hours on Monday.
This is the second time Sivasankar is appearing before the NIA for the ongoing probe in the gold smuggling case. Sources say it is likely that he will be summoned again later.
Currently, the investigators are analysing the former IT secretary's responses and the scope of the investigation could go beyond the gold smuggling case if it turns out the bureaucrat has divulged potentially controversial matters.
Sivasankar did not speak to the media persons waiting outside the NIA office and returned to Thiruvananthapuram.
Sivasankar had reached the NIA office by 9:30am on Monday for the interrogation session scheduled for 10am.
Customs officers also had reached the NIA office amid the interrogation. However, they returned within five minutes.
Apart from the NIA officers in Kochi, the agency's South India head K B Vandana and officers from Bengaluru also took part in the interrogation.
If Sivasankar is added to the list of accused in the case after this round, then there will be louder calls for the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The opposition UDF and the BJP will intensify their agitations against the government.
The NIA is keen on unravelling the role of anti-national forces in the gold smuggling case.
The federal agency questioned him about his alleged links to the members of the gang behind the smuggling of gold using diplomatic channels through the Trivandrum International Airport. Besides, it also ask him about the Sprinklr data leak and the contracts with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
The LDF can breathe easy, at least for the time being, as Sivasankar was allowed to return to Thiruvananthapuram after questioning.
Sivasankar was asked about the circumstances that led to his personal association with the accused in the gold smuggling case, the assistance he provided to the accused PS Sarith, Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, the people he met through them at home and abroad and their connection to the foreign trips he had made.
Monday's round follows Sivasankar's nine-hour interrogation by the Customs officials and five-hour grilling by the NIA earlier in Thiruvananthapuram.
This is the first time that a senior IAS officer has been summoned to the NIA office for questioning in connection with an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case.
NIA to reinvestigate old gun case
The NIA is also re-investigating a 2019 case pertaining to the smuggling of six guns by K T Ramees, the suspected mastermind of the gold smuggling case that was exposed on July 5 when a diplomatic baggage with 30 kg of the precious metal was seized at the Trivandrum airport.
Ramees has been already arrested over the latest case. Other arrested include Swapna, Sarith and Sandeepr.
Frequent calls to Swapna from UAE Consulate
Swapna received continuous phone calls from two numbers, believed to be that of the charge d affaires of the UAE Consulate, when the diplomatic baggage with 30 kg of gold was detained by Customs officials, the NIA’s investigations have revealed.
The NIA said there were constant phone calls between the two from June 30, when the baggage was detained by Customs officials, till July 5 when it was opened and the gold seized.
On July 3, the two spoke over phone 22 times, the NIA said. On July 5, when the gold was detected, the two spoke eight times. Swapna then switched off her phone and went into hiding after the smuggling was exposed.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched an internal probe into the gold smuggling case. Second Secretary at the Consulate Mabrook Saeed Ali Abdullah Al-Mansoori, who had gone to the UAE, returned on Sunday and took charge of the administration of the Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. He will be leading the investigation.
A high-level team from the UAE will arrive in Kerala in September or October to collect evidence in the case.
UAE will not immediately conduct a high-level inquiry. It will wait for its internal examination and the inquiries by the NIA to get over before deciding on a high-level investigation.
