The Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate has asked Vinodini Balakrishnan, wife of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, to appear before it for questioning on March 23.
Ms. Balakrishnan had failed to turn up for interrogation on March 10 after the Customs served her a notice in connection with its probe in the dollar smuggling case.
The agency had allegedly found that Ms. Balakrishnan was in possession of one of the six expensive mobile phones handed over by Santhosh Eapen, managing director (MD) of Unitac Builders, to Swapna Suresh, the second accused in the diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case, as bribe.
Ms. Balakrishnan had denied the allegations and claimed that she had no links with either Mr. Eapen or Swapna.
Commission
Mr. Eapen had filed a statement before the Kerala High Court that the expensive mobile phones were given along with ₹4.8 crore as commission to bag the UAE consulate’s contract to construct 140 dwellings in Thrissur via the government’s LIFE Mission programme to provide free housing for the poor.
The UAE Red Crescent had offered to underwrite the project through the country’s diplomatic mission in Thiruvananthapuram.
