Gold smuggling case: ED pressurised to name Pinarayi, says Sandeep Nair

“The offer was that they would save me from the case if I named them,” Sandeep said soon after his release from preventive detention.
Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair at ACJM (Economic Offences) Court in Kochi. (Photo | A Sanesh, EPS)
Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair at ACJM (Economic Offences) Court in Kochi. (Photo | A Sanesh, EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sandeep Nair, one of the main accused in the sensational gold smuggling through diplomatic channel case, repeated on Saturday that he was pressurised by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials to name Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former minister K T Jaleel and former speaker P Sreeramakrishnan as part of the gold smuggling racket. “The offer was that they would save me from the case if I named them,” Sandeep said soon after his release from preventive detention.

CPM politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Sandeep’s revelations were very serious in nature. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he said court should take note of the statement and initiate necessary action.

Sandeep fourth accused in the case was serving jail term in the Central prison at Poojapura in the capital under COFEPOSA Act in a case registered by the customs. As the one-year preventive detention was over on Saturday, he was released from prison. 

Sandeep turned approver in NIA case last year

Earlier, he was granted bail in the case filed by National Investigation Agency (NIA) as he was turned approver. He admitted he was a close friend of Sarith Kumar and knew Swapna Nair through him. Sarith and Swapna are the first and second accused in the gold smuggling case. To a query, he replied that M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to the CM, seemed to be innocent in the case.

Sandeep turned an approver in the NIA case in September, last year. The Ernakulam principal sessions court, which is also the special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases, had granted him bail in April this year. Later, he was also granted bail in the dollar smuggling case. Sandeep was named an accused in the gold smuggling case as he was the intermediary in the Wadakkanchery Life Mission flat construction, financed by the UAE Red Crescent through the UAE consulate.

In March this year, ahead of the assembly elections, Sandeep had alleged he was put under pressure by an investigating official of the ED to name the CM and other state ministers as well as the son of a prominent person in the case. He had mentioned these details in a letter written to the Ernakulam District Sessions Judge.

In that letter, Sandeep alleged that P Radhakrishnan, who was leading the investigation on money laundering in connection with the gold smuggling case, had said that Sandeep’s bail application will not be opposed if he named the who’s who in power, including Pinarayi. Radhakrishnan had also offered to help him with a good lawyer if he named the people suggested by the official, Sandeep wrote in his letter, forwarded to the court by the jai l superintendent.

The High Court on Friday quashed the imposition of COFEPOSA on Swapna. However, she will remain in the judicial custody as she is yet to obtain bail in a few other cases. On July 5, 2020, 30 kilograms of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore was confiscated by customs from a diplomatic bag that was meant to be delivered to the UAE Consulate here. On July 10, 2020, NIA took up the investigation and registered an FIR under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the four accused — Sarith, Swapna, Faisal Fareid and Sandeep.

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