The gold smuggling case unearthed in Trivandrum International Airport of Kerala in the first week of June 2019. The consignment came through a diplomatic cargo for the UAE consulate from UAE. One of the top bureaucrats in the Kerala CM’s office and the UAE Consulate were then linked to the case in which 30 kg of gold worth Rs. 14.8 crore was seized by customs.
The HC of Kerala directed the ED not to arrest M Sivasankar till October 23rd in the smuggling case. Senior counsel for M Sivasankar (Sr. Advocate P Vijayabhanu) added in the court that Sivasankar was questioned by NIA for hours and after investigation found no incriminatory evidence against him. Also, NIA court found no terror link in the case and granted bail to the accused persons.
M Sivasankar is at present admitted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital for his treatment of lower back and chest pain, from where he has filed a petition seeking Anticipatory bail in the ongoing case. In the application he submitted that Customs are attempting to sabotage court’s relief to him even when found nothing incriminatory while investigation and interrogation.
Sivasankar came into the round of suspicion because of his connections with the prime accused in the case i.e. Swapna Suresh and P R Sarith.
Anticipatory bail: – section 438 CrPC – direction for granting bail to a person who is apprehending arrest.
