THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Investigation Agency is questioning former IT Secretary M Sivasankar in connection with the high-profile gold smuggling case.
Sivasankar is being questioned at the Police Club in Peroorkada. NIA officials on Thursday gave notice to the senior IAS officer, who was also the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, for
questioning after which he turned up at the Police Club.
Sivasankar landed in a tight spot after it turned out that gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh, Sandeep Nair and Sarith Kumar maintained a close relationship with him.
The Customs had earlier questioned Sivasankar for nine hours in connection with the case. The agency had sought answers from the senior officer on his relations with the accused and also checked
whether he had any prior information on gold smuggling.
The NIA had earlier found out that the plot to smuggle gold through diplomatic channels was hatched at the apartment rented by Swapna's husband near the Secretariat.
Later, it turned out that the flat was rented with the help of the Chief Minister's former IT Fellow Arun Balachandran. Arun subsequently wrote to the agencies that he helped Swapna's husband to rent the house on the orders of Sivasankar.