PALAKKAD: Swapna Suresh, an accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case who has been facing an NIA and ED probe, on Friday joined the High Range Development Society (HRDS) India, a Palakkad-based NGO.
She received her appointment letter at the Skill Training Centre of HRDS India's office in Thodupuzha on Friday morning and joined the organisation there.
HRDS officials said Swapna is posted as Director (Women empowerment and CSR) with monthly emoluments of Rs 43,000. They said that the offer letter was issued on February 12 and she accepted the offer.
When asked as to why a tainted person like Swapna has been appointed in their organization, the HRDS officials said she has not been convicted as yet. She has excellent communication skills and vast contacts which could be used for the benefit of the organisation.
HRDS India is an NGO with Guru Atma Nambi as its president and Aji Krishnan as its secretary. Its main source of resources includes CSR funds from corporates and foreign donations.
Earlier, S. Krishnakumar, a three-time Congress MP from Kollam who later joined BJP, was its president. He has since relinquished the post citing ill-health and Guru Atma Nambi who was the patron earlier has become the organisation's president.
Its activities include the construction of pre-fabricated houses for Adivasis and has provided around 300 such houses in Attappadi free of cost.
As part of its women empowerment, it provides training in tailoring for women and gives them free sewing machines. It has three skill training centres in Thodupuzha, Coimbatore and Kannur under the DDU –GKY. It also undertakes farming activities like medicinal plant cultivation in Adivasi inhabited areas.