THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state prisons department has approached the NIA Court and the customs seeking permission to allow the Crime Branch to record the statement of Swapna Suresh, who is currently lodged in the Attakulangara jail here, in connection with her leaked voice clip. On Tuesday, the Attakulangara women’s jail superintendent, as instructed by DGP (Prisons) Rishiraj Singh, filed petitions at the NIA court and the customs unit in Kochi, said a prisons department official.
The department made the move as Swapna is in judicial custody after being arrested in the gold smuggling case, which NIA is investigating. The customs has also charged her under COFEPOSA (Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act).
According to the prisons department, investigation agencies other than NIA, customs and the Enforcement Directorate cannot interrogate Swapna directly. Hence, the state crime branch, which took over the probe into the leaking of the audio clip, had requested the prison department for permission to question her. With the prisons department highlighting the technical hindrance, the jail authorities were directed to approach the NIA court and the customs unit. Sources said the NIA court and the customs are expected to consider the petitions on Wednesday. The crime branch can start the probe only after Swapna’s statement.