Kerala gold smuggling: Amid Customs heat, Sivasankar shifted to TVM medical college

Former Principal Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister M Sivasankar, who is being investigated in the Gold smuggling racket has been shifted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Sivasankar's health condition had been reported stable. The suspended bureaucrat was admitted to a private hospital near Karamana in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday evening when he developed uneasiness while being taken to the Customs office.

"M Sivasankar (57/M), presented to Emergency Room on October 16 at 6.00 pm with uneasiness, giddiness and back pain. His BP on arrival was very high. ECG showed minor variations. He was admitted to the cardiac ICU," said the medical report of PRS hospital.

The reports also added that a CT Head and MRI Brain ruled out a stroke but MRI Spine revealed multiple disc prolapse in the lumbar and cervical region.

The ex-Principal Secretary to the CM's admission to the hospital came amid speculation that the Customs was planning to arrest him in a case pertaining to alleged smuggling of 1.90 lakh dollars abroad. On October 15, the Kerala High Court restrained the ED from arresting the suspended IAS officer till October 23.

READ: Admitted to ICU amid Customs heat, Kerala CM's ex-aide Sivasankar's condition stable

Alleged involvement in smuggling

The Life Mission is the Kerala government's flagship housing scheme for all the landless and homeless in the state. The target of the mission is to provide safe housing to nearly 4.30 lakh homeless people in Kerala within a span of 5 years. Swapna Suresh, the accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, allegedly received a commission from the builder who was assigned the contract of the Life Mission project at Wadakkanchery.

Reportedly, Sivasankar helped Suresh in coercing a private bank to convert the commission money into US dollars. The Customs department suspects that the money was transported abroad during the suspended bureaucrat's foreign trips where he was accompanied by Suresh. As per sources, Sivasankar had not sought the necessary permissions for foreign travel from the Centre. 

Sivasankar's suspension

The gold smuggling scam came to the fore when the Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs.15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport on July 5 from a diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate. Sivasankar's suspension was announced by Vijayan on July 16 based on the recommendations by a state government-appointed two-member committee probing his role in this scam. It was reportedly found that he had violated the All-India Services Conduct rules due to his connections with the accused. The suspended bureaucrat allegedly played a key role in the appointment of Swapna Suresh as operations manager in the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited. 

READ: Kerala Gold Smuggling case: CM Vijayan's ex-aide & key suspect M Shivashankar hospitalised

(With Inputs from ANI)