KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition which sought a directive to the Customs and Enforcement Directorate to investigate Swapna Suresh’s allegations about the role of high-ranking political functionaries, including the Chief Minister and his family members, and former Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan in the diplomatic gold smuggling case.
Dismissing the petition filed by Aji Krishnan, founder secretary of Highrange Rural Development Society (HRDS),Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas stated that there was no basis for the petitioner’s apprehension about a fair and proper investigation.
The Customs and the Enforcement Directorate have already conducted or are currently conducting proper investigations, and there are no reasons to assume that individuals involved in the investigation will not be held accountable if they are found guilty. The court emphasised that the dictum “Be you ever so high, the law is above you” applies equally to everyone, regardless of status or position.
The court also noted that the petitioner had not produced any material to suggest that the investigation was not being conducted properly. The court dismissed the petition, stating that there was no evidence to support the petitioner’s assumptions about the investigation proceeding contrary to law.
Advocate General K Gopalakrishna Kurup, opposed the petition, arguing that the petitioner did not come with clean hands. The petitioner had a long association with Swapna Suresh, who was once employed in the HRDS, and he had not revealed in his petition that a crime was registered against him and that his petition seeking bail in the case was pending before the court.