KOCHI: With his interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday, M Sivasankar, the former principal secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has been subjected to more than 100 hours of questioning by three central agencies on various aspects of the gold smuggling case. What’s more, he may be summoned for questioning again. The agencies have not yet revealed what the marathon interrogation sessions have yielded.
Thursday was the 11th time that Sivasankar appeared for interrogation by one of the three investigating agencies – ED, Customs and National Investigation Agency (NIA) – since July.He came to the ED office here around 11am and the questioning continued late into the night. ED had previously grilled him thrice for a total of 30 hours.
“Clarification is required on some aspects about his links with prime accused Swapna Suresh, Sarith P S and Sandeep Nair. Sivasankar is yet to give a clear explanation about his WhatsApp chat with chartered account Venugopal, who opened a joint locker with Swapna on the bureaucrat’s instructions. Sivasankar’s involvement in granting Wadakkanchery LIFE Mission housing project work to Unitac Builders also requires clarification.
Though he is cooperative, he could not explain all the aspects. We may question him again,” said a source in the ED.The customs had first grilled Sivasankar at its Thiruvananthapuram office in July and has so far questioned him thrice for over 31 hours in total.
NIA questioned Sivasankar four times for total 35 hours
The NIA questioned him on four occasions for a total of 35 hours. Even in his anticipatory bail plea filed at the High Court, Sivasankar had claimed that he had been questioned by multiple agencies for over 90 hours.Now, with the CBI launching a probe into the alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act in the LIFE Mission project, he may be grilled one more agency.
Though the High Court has stayed the CBI probe against LIFE Mission officials, the agency is looking up provisions to question Sivasankar as he is not a LIFE Mission official.“Clarity on the stay order is needed as to whether we can interrogate Sivasankar. Unitac Builders MD Santhosh Eappen and LIFE Mission CEO U V Jose had given statements about Sivasankar’s role and he has to be interrogated,” said a source in the CBI. Though he has been questioned multiple times, Sivasankar has not been arraigned by any of the agencies so far.