Thiruvananthapuram: The General Administration (Political) Department (GAD), where a fire broke out on Tuesday, handles important files related to diplomatic institutions, including the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.
According to rules, any minister or official in the state government should notify the GAD (Political) about any dealings with consulates. Officials in the department reportedly had close ties with Swapna Suresh and P S Sarith, two of the main accused in the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case.
A picture of the officials with the accused has been circulating in the WhatsApp groups in the Secretariat for a week.
Two officials from the office had gone to Kochi on Monday to hand over documents related to the consulate demanded by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). This is the second time that files from the office have been given to the NIA.
Swapna had specifically invited high-ranking officials from the GAD (political) department to all the important events and celebrations organised by the UAE Consulate over the past three years. She also gave them gifts, including high-end mobile phones. Swapna and Sarith also visited the department often.
The GAD (political) that caught fire is just above the office of the chief secretary Vishwas Mehta.
Most of the GAD (political)’s files are maintained in the physical paper form for security reasons, given that it handles important responsibilities such as issuing diplomatic ID cards to consulate officials, arranging ministers’ travel abroad and the oath-taking of ministers.
The fire episode has taken a political hue with Opposition parties alleging that it was a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence in the gold smuggling case.
Chief secretary Vishwas Mehta said an “impartial probe” will be held into the incident.
