Prasanth Mehta, the first accused in a case related to the smuggling of gold from the Kochi Special Economic Zone, has failed to appear before the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) team. DRI had summoned him to appear before the team in Kochi, as part of an inquiry related to the case on Monday.
According to DRI sources, Prasanth Mehta, who is the Managing Director of Rajesh Exports, has filed another anticipatory bail petition at the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court. DRI would wait for the order of the Session Court before initiating steps for arresting him. The petition would come under the consideration of the court the next day. Earlier, the Sessions Court had dismissed the anticipatory bail petition of the accused, stating that the case is more than just the evasion of duty tax. This time the petition was filed by another counsel for Prashant Mehta.
It was in the first week of May that DRI officials arrested Hareesh Babu with 900 grams of gold when he was about to board a train to Bangalore. During interrogation, Babu revealed that Biju Abraham, general manager, Rajesh Exports, had asked him to take the gold to the company godown in Bangalore.