ED now begins grilling Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's additional private secretary

Additional Private Secretary to the Kerala Chief Minister, CM Raveendran, has appeared for questioning at the Kochi Enforcement Directorate office. Earlier he had failed to appear for questioning three times. The ED office had earlier asked him to appear for questioning on Dec 10 for which he claimed that he had to post COVID difficulties. However, the hospital discharged him citing that he didn't have many issues other than back pain and mere physiotherapy is recommended. 

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Raveendran, before appearing had also approached the High Court to issue a stay in questioning and the petition had laid few conditions for questioning, citing his health ground. But, Raveendran who is known in the political circles as a conscious keeper of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, before waiting for the order from the court, appeared for questioning.

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First Notice served on Nov 7

Raveendran was tested Covid positive on November 7, a few hours after ED had served him notice for questioning. Three weeks later, On November 27 he was called in by giving second notice. He cited he has post covid treatments to be taken and evaded appearance. After the interrogation date passed, he was discharged from the hospital. 

Meanwhile, the same afternoon when he failed to appear for questioning, ED conducted raids in several businesses in Vadakara in Kerala which is reportedly Benami properties of the additional private secretary. Subsequently, it was also reported that ED officials visited ULCCS head office in Vadakkara, a left backed society that has bagged most of the infrastructure contract as well. 

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Did Raveendran fear he would be arrested like M Sivasankar?

Raveendran had filed in his petition that he may be questioned in the presence of his lawyer and that sought the court to also fix the time of questioning be restricted. The rumour mill says perhaps Raveendran feared whether he will face the same fate of Former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar. 

In his case, ED had called M Sivasankar for questioning. Then, Sivasankar had filed an anticipatory bail in the High Court. When the petition came, ED submitted that Sivasankar was not an accused and they had no plans to take him into custody. Further this, the bail application was rejected by the court. In a dramatic twist, post questioning, ED took him into custody after his interrogation. 

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