Don't arrest Sivasankar till Oct 23, Kerala HC tells Customs

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday restrained the Customs Department from arresting suspended IAS officer M Sivasankar, who was facing probe in the gold smuggling case, till October 23.

Sivasankar, who has been admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College after he was diagnosed with multiple disc prolapse, moved the court seeking anticipatory bail in the case registered by the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate on Monday.

The High Court had earlier prevented the the Enforcement Directorate, probing the money trail in the gold smuggling case, from arresting Sivasankar, till October 23.

Sivasankar, in his bail application, claimed that he was being made a dice in the political game. He also informed the court that he would appear before the investigating officers if told.

In the bail plea submitted over the case registered by the ED last week, he had expressed fears that media's "false propaganda" and frivolous news items" and constant demand for his arrest for creating news value has created a situation where the investigating agencies are forced to "save their skin" from allegations by arresting him, thereby playing to the fourth estate and avoiding criticism.

Sivasankar, the former principal secretary to the chief minister, was admitted to the hospital on Friday after he complained of uneasiness.

Customs officials had reached his home in the city to serve notice asking him to appear before them with some relevant documents at around 6pm on Friday, when he complained of uneasiness. He was taken to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram in a Customs vehicle. He was shifted to the MCH after an MRI of the spine revealed multiple disc prolapse in the lumbar and cervical region.

Sivasankar was earlier interrogated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a separate case related to the gold smuggling using diplomatic channels through the international airport at Thiruvananthapuram.

Sivasankar came under the scanner as reports regarding his acquaintance with Swapna Suresh, one of the prime accused in the case, emerged.

The smuggling case came to the fore when Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore found camouflaged in diplomatic baggage from the UAE on July 5.