THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After 16 months in prison, Swapna Prabha Suresh, the second accused in the gold smuggling through diplomatic channel case, was released on bail on Saturday.
Her release was made possible as she had secured bail in all the six cases registered by various probe agencies. Swapna, former secretary to the UAE consulate, came out from the Attakulangara women's prison in Thiruvananthapuram at 11.35 am. Her mother Prabha reached the prison in the morning and submitted the bail order and documents related to bail conditions before the jail superintendent.
To the queries of media persons waiting outside the prison, she said she would respond in detail later. Subsequently, she went along with her mother to her ancestral residence at Ramapuram near Balaramapuram.
Swapna was granted bail by the Kerala High Court on November 2 in the case registered by NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Court granted bail to Swapna and 7 other accused in a UAPA case saying that prima facie it does not find that they committed any terrorist act as alleged against them.
Swapna has been in jail since July 11, 2020, when she was arrested from Bengaluru by the NIA. The sensational case which rocked Kerala politics was registered after the Customs department stopped diplomatic baggage that arrived at Thiruvananthapuram international airport from Dubai on June 30, 2020.
The consignment was addressed to the UAE consulate in the capital. Later on July 5, 2020, the Customs checked the baggage and found 30 kilograms of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore in the presence of the consulate staff and the first accused PS Sarith. He was also arrested on the same day.
The NIA, which took over the probe on the directive of the Union Home Ministry, had stated that the proceeds of smuggling could be used to fund terror activities.