Kochi: The Enforcement Department (ED) has opposed the bail petition of former Kerala bureaucrat M Sivasankar citing health reasons. He is behind the bars in connection with the Life Mission graft case.
The ED has cited the gravity of the corruption for opposing the bail plea by the accused.
The prosecution has deposed before the court that the case pertains to diverting Rs 4.5 crore out of the Rs 19 crore offered by the UAE-based NGO Red Crescent to fund a housing complex for the flood-affected.
Only Rs 1 crore could be unearthed. The investigation to find out the rest of the money is still progressing. If Sivasankar gets bail in the meantime, it will affect the investigation, the prosecution cited.
The ED Special Court will pronounce the verdict on the petition tomorrow (March 2).
Sivansakar’s advocate argued that Sivasankar had no role in the bribe deal, and he is also facing health issues. The ED countered that he is not having any major health issues.
The prosecution contended that the statements against Sivasankar are solid.
The Additional Sessions Court is considering the case.
With the ED custody period coming to an end, Sivasankar is now on remand till March 8.
Swapna Suresh moves High Court against attachment of land
Meanwhile, Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the sensational gold smuggling through diplomatic channel case, has filed a petition before the High Court against a notice issued by the ED to forfeit nine cents of land in her name at Thycaud village in Thiruvananthapuram, invoking the provisions of the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA).
In her petition, Swapna sought cancellation of the notice, citing that the said property belonged to her mother. Though her mother initially intended to hand over the land to her, a family dispute forced them to make a sale deed worth Rs 26,14,000.
However, the authorities are set to attach the property based on the assessment that the same was illegally earned through gold smuggling, she contended.
Swapna was arrested on October 9, 2020, under the provisions of the COFEPOSA (Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act) following the smuggling case. The same was approved by the COFEPOSA board as well.
However, the High Court revoked the orders to keep me under preventive custody, on October 8, 2021. Hence the proceedings to attach my property are illegal, Swapna argued in her petition.
