Thiruvananthapuram: Swapna Suresh, one of the key accused in the diplomatic baggage gold smuggling scam, has been booked for making some explosive statements suggesting that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and some of his close family members and colleagues were involved in the illegal act.
The Cantonment Police in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday registered a fresh case against Suresh and veteran politician P C George based on a complaint filed by former higher education minister and current legislator K T Jaleel.
The Kerala police had received a legal advice that Suresh could be booked under charges relating to conspiracy and attempt to trigger a riot.
Jaleel, in his complaint, had alleged that the protests staged by opposition parties following Suresh's revelations were aimed at triggering a riot. A special investigation team is likely to be formed to probe the case.
Jaleel filed the complaint soon after Pinarayi Vijayan held a discussion with DGP Anilkanth, on the same.
Suresh, who had alleged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and a few others' involvement in the gold smuggling case, had also mentioned Jaleel's name among them.
Jaleel told media in Thiruvananthapuram that the case was against the false claims made by Suresh.
“She has given such statements earlier. How did it suddenly occur to her to make these new allegations? She is presenting the same old statements with a pinch of 'masala'. We are not scared of these statements. Regardless of the central investigative agency which takes it up, they will not make much headway. We can say this with confidence.”
On Tuesday, Swapna had told the media that a baggage containing currency was sent to CM Vijayan when he was in Dubai in 2016.
She also said in her secret statement recorded before a Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam that the case has the involvement of CM's former principal secretary M Sivasankar, CM's wife Kamala, daughter Veena, his additional private secretary C M Raveendran, former bureaucrat Nalini Netto and K T Jaleel.
The chief minister and his party, the CPM, have rubbished the allegations as false while the opposition Congress has sought the resignation of Vijayan following the latest revelations.
