KOCHI: Former journalist Shaj Kiran and business partner Ibrai K were questioned by the crime branch team probing the case against Swapna Suresh and ex-MLA P C George for conspiring to defame Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Wednesday. Both appeared before the investigation team at Police Club in Kochi by afternoon. The interrogation continued till late in the evening.
Shaj later told reporters that he doubts a conspiracy behind the incident. “I said everything I know about the incident. I suspect I was trapped. There is a conspiracy behind it. I gave a detailed statement,” Shaj said. Shaj and Ibrai were close to gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh. However, in the anticipatory bail petition filed in Kerala High Court last week, Swapna alleged that Shaj and Ibrai compelled her to withdraw the CrPC 164 statement in which she mentioned about the chief minister and his family. Later, Swapna released an audio clip containing her conversations with Shaj and Ibrai.