THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM state secretary MV Govindan has served a legal notice on Swapna Suresh, accused in the gold smuggling case through a diplomatic channel.
The notice was sent for making defamatory statements against him. In his notice, served through Advocate Nicholas Joseph, Govindan asked for an unconditional apology from her and sought compensation of Rs one crore.
In a recent Facebook live, Swapna alleged that a person called Vijesh Pillai had approached her on behalf of CPM secretary MV Govindan, and offered to pay Rs 30 crore for handing over all the evidence related to the gold smuggling case. She also indicated that the CPM leader, through the intermediary, tried to threaten her and asked her to leave the country.
Vijesh Pillai had refuted her allegations. He said, "I contacted Swapna on February 27 seeking permission for a web series. We met at a hotel in Bengaluru. When she asked about financial returns, I offered her 30% of the revenue. I told her that if we earn Rs 100 crore, we will give her Rs 30 crore," he said.
Pillai said he had never met Govindan. “When Swapna asked from where I hail, I said I am from the land of M V Govindan. I haven’t met Govindan in my life,” he said.
Refuting Swapna’s allegation of him issuing a death threat, Pillai said, “I had offered to shift the shooting of the web series to Jaipur or Haryana as Swapna was concerned about her safety.”
Following Swapna's allegation, the opposition UDF challenged the CPM leaders to take legal action against her.
In his notice, MV Govindan said Swapna's statement through the media has defamed him. He asked her to withdraw the accusations and apologise through prominent newspapers.