The hearing in the sensational diplomatic channel gold smuggling case, which was booked by the National Investigation Agency, will be conducted by a new judicial officer from next week.
This follows the transfer of P. Krishnakumar, the Special Judge, who was hearing the gold smuggling case, as Principal District and Sessions Judge, Kollam.
K. Kamanees, the Additional District Judge, Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, Pala, will be the new judge to NIA Special Court. He will consider the gold smuggling case along with the other cases which were tried by Mr. Krishnakumar as the Special Judge to the NIA and CBI courts.
The transfer and posting of the judicial officers were part of the routine exercise and 10 judicial officers in the cadre of District Judges were transferred and posted to different courts as part of the exercise, according to judicial sources.
The transfers and postings of the judicial officers will come into effect from next week, though the transfer order was issued by the Registry of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday, the sources said.
Incidentally, the bail applications of some of the frontline accused except Swapna Suresh, the second accused in the case have been posted for November 5.
The trial court had earlier granted bail for 12 accused in the case as the court found that the NIA could not find evidences to link the accused to terror funding or receiving funds from any proscribed organisations.
