Arun Balachandran, former IT fellow to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, appeared before the Customs here on Friday for interrogation in connection with the investigation into the alleged smuggling of gold through air cargo shipments addressed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consulate in Kerala.
Mr. Balachandran came under the radar of the Customs and National Investigation Agency (NIA) after reports emerged that he had helped the husband of the key accused Swapna Suresh take an apartment near the Secretariat on rent. The officials had found that Swapna had met the other accused, including Sandeep Nair and Sarith P.S., at the apartment on several occasions.
Mr. Balachandran had said that he had arranged the flat on the insistence of M. Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. He had also pointed out that Mr. Sivasankar had told him that the apartment was being rented for his friend and his family. Mr. Balachandran is learnt to have spoken to the caretaker of the apartment and finalised the rent on Mr. Sivasankar's request.
Meanwhile, Swapna is learnt to have submitted a statement before the Customs alleging that Anil Nambiar, a senior journalist of Janam TV, had called her on July 5 after seeing the reports of the gold seizure. She claimed that he had asked her to advise the Consulate to release a statement saying that the seized consignment was not a diplomatic cargo.
Scribe denies allegation
Mr. Nambiar denied the allegations in a social media post claiming that he had called Swapna for a reaction on the gold seizure. “I had no idea then that she was an employee of the State government. I am stepping down from Janam TV till the doubts surrounding me are cleared,” he said.
