KOCHI: CM Raveendran, additional private secretary of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to subject himself for questioning, as part of the central agency's probe into money laundering behind the Kerala gold smuggling case.
Even though Raveendran had approached Kerala High Court against notice given by the ED for interrogation, he appeared at the agency's office in Kochi at around 9 am.
The ED summoned Raveendran after prime accused Swapna Suresh gave a statement to the agency that Chief Minister's additional private secretary frequently contacted her for visa stamping and attestation procedures while she was working at UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. ED also carried out a preliminary inquiry about assets and investments of Raveendran and his close aides.
Earlier, ED had issued four notices to Raveendran for interrogation. However, Raveendran did not turn up claiming that he contracted Covid-19 and was admitted at a hospital.
After the third notice given, he got himself admitted at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College again. It was on December 12, the fourth notice was issued after he was discharged from the hospital following a recommendation by a medical board constituted to monitor his health condition.
After former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar, Raveendran is the second person from the Chief Minister Office to be questioned by the ED in the case. Sivasankar is arrested and currently in jail after remanded to judicial custody in the case.