KOCHI: The customs probing the smuggling of gold through diplomatic channel on Monday submitted before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) Court that it has received fresh evidence against former principal secretary M Sivasankar in the case.The agency also sought an extension of Sivasankar’s custody for seven more days.
According to customs, Sivasankar, during custodial interrogation, stated that he was using only one mobile phone, about which he had told other probe agencies as well. “But investigation revealed that Sivasankar was using two more mobile phones. Of them, one was retrieved on November 29 and the same is being analysed. Efforts are on to identify the other one,” said the petition filed by customs in the court. “The continued custody of Sivasankar is necessary to locate the missing device,” it stated. Customs said custody extension is required to question Sivasankar based on a statement given by Swapna on November 27 about his involvement in gold smuggling.
Objecting to custody extension, Sivasankar’s counsel said: “Customs had Swapna’s statement with them for the past three days and didn’t ask anything about it. Now, what is the point in extending custody on the same ground.” Counsel claimed that the second mobile phone recovered by customs was a tablet having a mobile SIM card, which Sivasankar never used. “He had declared about having a tab. There is no third mobile phone with him,” his counsel submitted. The court will give an order on custody extension on Tuesday.