KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started interrogating former IT Secretary M Sivashankar at Kochi as part of its probe into the smuggling of gold using diplomatic baggage addressed to a diplomat in UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.
This for the second time, NIA is interrogating the top bureaucrat in this regard while the Customs also had questioned him earlier.
Sivashankar started from his residence at Thiruvananthapuram at around 4.30 am and directly reached NIA office at Girinagar in Kochi at around 9:20 am. The chauffeur-driven car did not stop in between as local TV channels chased him from Thiruvananthapuram onwards. Additional policemen were deployed at the gate of NIA office to prevent any kind of rush on the arrival of the bureaucrat.
The interrogation will be crucial for the CPM-led LDF government in Kerala. It will be on backfoot if its IT secretary, who was removed from the post after the case came up, is arraigned as accused or arrested in the gold smuggling case. Similarly, this will also bring in scope for a CBI probe under Prevention of Corruption Act.
The NIA had interrogated Sivashankar for five hours at Thiruvananthapuram last Thursday. Later, a notice was served to appear for interrogation at its office in Kochi. NIA also has received CCTV visuals of Sivashankar's office from Secretariate in Thiruvananthapuram.
Earlier, when the Customs which is also conducting a probe quizzed Sivashankar, he admitted he personally knows the prime accused Swapna and Sarith. However, he said that he was unaware of their smuggling activities.
NIA and Customs in their probe found that conspiracy to smuggle gold was hatched at an apartment next to an apartment taken on rent by Sivashankar. Swapna Suresh also was appointed in an IT project following the recommendation of the bureaucrat.