Swapna Suresh, the accused in the diplomatic channel gold smuggling case, can now leave Kochi as the Special Court considering the case booked against her under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) modified the bail conditions on Wednesday.
Though Swapna was released from the jail on November 6, she had to stay back in Kochi, as the court had earlier imposed the bail condition that she shall not leave Ernakulam without its prior permission. She submitted that she was in the district jail at Kakkanad while the court had imposed the bail condition. She was later shifted to the Women's prison, Attakulangara.
She submitted that she had no residence in Ernakulam and the only residence that was available for her to stay was with her mother in Thiruvananthapuram. Swapna also submitted that it had become practically impossible for her to continue to stay in Ernakulam. Moreover, the investigation in the case was over and the complaint was also filed before the court, she pointed out.
T.A. Unnikrishnan, the special prosecutor for the Enforcement Directorate, submitted that he had no objection to the court relaxing the bail condition. However, he added that the court shall insist that the accused shall not leave Kerala without the prior permission of the court.
Accepting the contentions, Honey M. Varghese, the Special Judge for the PMLA cases, permitted Swapna to leave Ernakulam. The court also directed that she shall not leave the State without its permission.
