Thiruvananthapuram:- The state BJP president K. Surendran has accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as the biggest beneficiary in the infamous Kerala gold smuggling case.
On 5 July 2020, 30 kilograms of gold worth ₹14.82 crores was seized by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs at Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a bag which was meant to be delivered to the UAE Consulate of Thiruvananthapuram.
K. Surendran said “Pinarayi Vijayan and his office was behind all the hawala and reverse hawala trade that has now come out. Pinarayi Vijayan not only helped this smuggling to happen but also turned out to be the biggest beneficiary in this trade,”
The case came to light on July 5 with the arrest of former UAE consulate staff P.R. Sarith and the arrest of Swapna Suresh the formers embassy staffer who had also worked in the IT department’s space park and was the close associate to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan top aide.
For Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan things went worse when the Enforcement Directorate had arrested his senior IAS official M.Sivasankar and secretary, who are in judicial custody since October 29.
Swapna Suresh on record to the state said that Sivasankar was her mentor and managed to get the IT space park job. when “she has not even passed the Class 10 exam and that too at a mind-boggling salary”.
“Speaker of the Kerala Assembly and the Four state ministers all have direct contact with the accused,” K. Surendran said.
Sarith and Swapna Suresh had now given statements that connect a few big “sharks” from various fields who had some role in the gold smuggling case, which the various national agencies are investigating.
K. Surendran is going fiercely against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at all the election rally for the three-phased local body polls which will begin on Tuesday and ends on December 14th.
Surendran also said “Vijayan is not visible in the election rallies and moreover the Left candidates also wish for him not to make an appearance,”
