Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan rejects UDF demand for CBI probe in gold smuggling case

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, "The state government can not say which agency should probe the gold smuggling case as it is not a state subject. There is no need for the state government to take up that responsibility."

Image courtesy: ANI

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday (July 21) rejected the opposition Congress-led UDF's demand for a High Court-monitored CBI probe into the sensational gold smuggling case. Prime accused Swapna Suresh had levelled serious allegations against the Chief Minister, his family members and some top bureaucrats. Replying to a submission by Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan in the Assembly, CM Vijayan said the smuggling case was completely the Centre's subject and does not come under the purview of the state government and so it cannot make any request about which agency should probe the case, according to a PTI report.

Kerala Chief Minister said, "The state government can not say which agency should probe the gold smuggling case as it is not a state subject. There is no need for the state government to take up that responsibility." Vijayan reportedly added that several agencies including the Enforcement Directorate, NIA and Customs are currently probing the case and if any of them felt any limitation in their present investigation, it was up to them to take the decision to hand over the case to others.

The CBI was an agency which had been widely misused by the central governments in various cases across the country, Vijayan alleged.

Irked over the rejection of their demand, UDF members raised slogans against the Chief Minister and the Left government saying they were scared of a CBI probe.

On Wednesday, Kerala gold smuggling prime accused Swapna Suresh said that she has handed over the evidence of the anti-national activities committed by CPI-M MLA and former minister KT Jaleel while serving as a Minister, to her lawyer. These documents will be filed in court on Thursday along with the affidavit.

Talking to the media, she said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is afraid of the case, adding "I have complete trust in ED because ED will do its work properly. The CM is very tense. He is scared. He used a system to manipulate by using the system. The crime branch wants to know about the evidence that I have submitted." 

Earlier, she alleged that the Chief Minister is "harassing" her because she is trying to bring the truth out. "Kerala CM, who is supposed to protect the public has put me to starvation now. He`s harassing me because I am trying to bring the truth out. He can`t just do things for his daughter. He has to consider all of us as daughters," she alleged while talking to media persons.

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs had on July 5, 2020, seized 30 kgs of 24-carat gold worth Rs 14.82 crore at Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic bag that was meant to be delivered to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.

(With PTI/ANI)