: Just after the advance bail pleas of M. Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary of the Kerala Chief Minister, were rejected today by the Kerala High Court, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) took him into custody.){kind=link}
New Delhi (ILNS): Just after the advance bail pleas of M. Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary of the Kerala Chief Minister, were rejected today by the Kerala High Court, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) took him into custody. Sivasankar is facing an ED and Customs probe into the famous gold smuggling case. The case was heard by Justice Ashok Menon.
Sivasankar was arrested from an ayurvedic centre in Thiruvananthapuram, where he has been undergoing treatment.
The court passed the order on two separate anticipatory bail pleas of Sivasankar.
During the argument of the case earlier the ED had submitted that Sivasankar was the kingpin in the case and “all the strings were in his hands”. The agency also contended that Swapna Suresh, the second accused in the case, was “under the full control of Sivasankar and she was just a pawn in the whole episode.”
Strongly opposing the plea, the ED had submitted that the custodial interrogation of the officer was required as he was not cooperating with the investigation.
The agency had stated that the role of Sivasankar in the gold smuggling case was still being probed and granting him anticipatory bail would adversely affect the investigation.
In a written statement, the ED had submitted that Sivasankar appeared to be connected with the serious economic offence allegedly committed by prime accused Swapna Suresh.
The Customs had also opposed the anticipatory bail application, alleging that Sivasankar was not providing clear answers to important questions in connection with the case. Refuting the charges against him, Sivasankar had submitted that he was being hounded by the agencies in the name of investigation in the case.
He had submitted that he did not hold any influential position in the Government at present and claimed that he was not even getting a hotel room due to the case.
Sivasankar had also submitted before the Court that he has complied with all the directions given by the court till now and there is no scope of absconding for him.
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