Kochi: The investigation team has recovered 4,000 GB of digital information from five of the accused in the gold smuggling case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has told the court.
The agency found 2,000 GB of information while checking the phones and laptops of Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, two of the key accused in the case, and another 2,000 GB from the devices of three other accused, it said. This also includes the information obtained by retrieving the WhatsApp and Telegram messages of the accused.
The investigation team has obtained crucial evidence against the accused from the digital data, the NIA told the court.
The NIA court had issued warrants against the five, directing that they be produced before it. The court order came on a request from the NIA for custody of the five accused for five days for questioning. However, the NIA produced only three of them on Tuesday. Swapna Suresh and Mohammad Anwar were not brought to the court.
Swapna Suresh has been admitted to the Thrissur Medical College Hospital for an angiogram as she has been constantly complaining of chest pain. That is why she could not be produced, the NIA told the court. Mohammad Anwar could not be produced due to a technical error in the court documents, the NIA said.
Sandeep Nair, Mohammad Shafi and Mohammad Ali were produced in court. The court remanded them in the custody of the NIA for questioning. It has allowed the agency to question them till Friday.
Swapna will be produced in court after the details of her treatment become clear and Mohammad Anwar will be produced soon. The court is likely to give their custody also to the NIA for questioning.
No serious health problems, both Swapna and Ramees back in jail
Gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh and K T Ramees, who were admitted to the Thrissur Medical College Hospital after they complained of chest pain and stomach ache, respectively, have been shifted back to jail.
The two were discharged from the hospital on the basis of an assessment by the medical board that they did not have any serious health problems.
Swapna underwent an angiogram, while Ramees was subjected to an endoscopy.
Swapna's family had reached the hospital, but they could not see her.
Swapna was taken to hospital around 6:30pm on Sunday after she said she had pain in the chest. Half-an-hour later, Ramees was also moved to the hospital after he complained of stomach ache.
Swapna had only been discharged on Saturday after six days in hospital after she had complained of chest pain once before. She was again admitted in less than a day after the medical board had certified that she had no significant health problems, giving rise to allegations that there was something suspicious about it.
The jail department has sought an explanation from the superintendent of the women's prison where Swapna is lodged and the superintendent of the high-security prison where Ramees is being held in custody.
