KOCHI: The Special Prosecutor for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the money trail behind the gold smuggling via diplomatic channels resigned after the agency appointed another advocate to appear in court for the case on Monday. ED counsel Saijan George submitted his resignation after the agency appointed another lawyer P Unnikrishnan.
According to ED sources, the agency has a panel of four advocates to appear for legal proceedings. Saijan had appeared for the ED when it applied to record the arrest of the accused persons in the case last month. He also filed a petition for the agency seeking custody of the accused last week. However, on Sunday evening, the ED's legal cell decided to appoint advocate P Unnikrishnan who was not part of the four-member panel of lawyers to appear for the agency in the case.
"We have received the resignation of advocate Saijan. We don't know why the decision to change the counsel was made. The matter will be handled by our legal cell," an officer said.
Saijan alleged that politics had played a part in the appointment of a new lawyer who was not part of the panel. "I suspect political reasons behind it. It is not appropriate to continue further," he said.
Meanwhile, the ED has sought custody of key accused Sarith PS, Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair. The agency on Monday approached the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court to issue a production warrant against the accused persons who are in judicial custody now. The court issued a warrant to produce them on Wednesday. The ED will file a petition seeking their custody for seven days when they are produced in court.