Swapna Suresh files petition in HC, claims CM’s aide approached for ‘settlement or arrest'

In a sensational twist in the Kerala gold scam case, prime accused Swapna Suresh has now filed a petition in the Kerala High Court. Swapna has in the petition has told the Court that Kerala Chief Minister’s aide approached her for ‘settlement’ in the backdrop of the gold scam case. The prime accused, who had earlier raised allegations against the CM and his aides, has informed the High Court that she was asked to settle the case or face arrest.

Republic has now accessed an exclusive copy of the petition filed in the Kerala High Court by Swapna Suresh. According to the petition filed in the Court, Swapna claimed that a person named Shaji Kiran, who is claimed to be an aide to the CM, visited her office in Palakkad on Wednesday and spoke to her regarding a ‘settlement’ in the case.  

Swapna Suresh files petition in High Court against alleged threat from CM's aide

“In the meantime, on 08.06.2022 a person named Shaji Kiran came to the office of the petitioners at Palakkad around 1.30 pm. He is a person who was introduced to the petitioner by Mr Sivasankar stating that he is a person who is very close to Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan and Kodiyeri Balalkrishnan and he, being one of the Directors of Gospel for Asia an organisation of K.P Yohannan, is the person who is handling the investment of the Chief Minister as well as Kodiyeri Balakrishnan aborad. He informed the petitioners that he has come as instructed by Mr Pinarayi Vijan so as to settle the issue created by the 1st petitioner by giving 164 statement”, the petition filed by Swapna mentions.

Swapna claimed that the person threatened her with arrest and remand to judicial custody. “He started pressurising the petitioners to surrender before the Chief Minister. He informed that already a case has been registered against the 1st petitioner and if they do not surrender before the Chief Minister by openly stating that she has given 164 statement at the instigation of the petitioners’ present counsel and RSS and BJP, he threatened the petitioners with dare consequences to the effect that they will not see day light as cases will be registered against them in such a way they will have to remain in jail for long,” it further noted.

This comes only a day after Swapna Suresh, who had promised to make more revelations about the smuggling case, raised allegations against CM Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife Kamala, daughter Veena and other top aides of being involved in the gold smuggling case. However, CM Vijayan on Tuesday dismissed Suresh’s allegations, terming them ‘baseless and politically motivated’.

What is the Kerala gold scam case?

On 5 July 2020, Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs.15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate. Sarith PS, who worked at the UAE Consulate, was apprehended in this regard. Subsequently, Swapna Suresh, an ex-Consulate employee working as the manager of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited and CM’s former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar were also arrested in this case. They are both now out on bail. 

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