THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday alleged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was trying to “get anticipatory bail” (read bail himself out) in the gold smuggling case as he knew the NIA was zeroing in on the CMO to investigate the role of tainted bureaucrat M Sivasankar in the case. Chennithala was speaking after inaugurating the statewide protest organised by the Congress demanding a CBI and RAW probe in the case.
Besides the NIA probe, an investigation by CBI is necessary as the CMO is under a cloud over the controversial appointments in the office and IT Department, while the one by RAW is needed as the case has international ramifications, the Congress believes.Chennithala alleged Pinarayi had no moral right to continue in office as this was the first time in the country that a top CMO official was involved in such a sensational case.
“The persons accused in the case worked against the country’s interest. The first and second accused (Sarith P S and Swapna Suresh) were helped by M Sivasankar, Pinarayi’s former principal secretary and IT secretary,” he said.