Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s additional private secretary, CM Raveendran, appeared before the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Thursday for questioning in connection with the gold smuggling case.
Raveendran has already been summoned four times by the Central agency. He was cited for the first time last month but was unable to appear because he had tested positive for Covid-19. Later, he stayed away citing post-covid complications. He was issued a new summons after being discharged from Thiruvananthapuram Medical College hospital last week.
Raveendran has also moved to higher court, seeking advance bond, but the DE has objected, saying he was not charged in any case. The court is expected to hear his statement later that day.
CM’s other secretary, the Senior Official of the Administrative Service of India, M Sivasankar, is already in judicial custody in connection with the case. Raveendran was subpoenaed on the basis of Sivasankar’s statement, a senior official on the multi-agency investigation team said, requesting anonymity.
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Last week, the CM had defended him saying that he was staying away from questioning due to poor health. He said the central agencies cannot do anything against him as he “has a good track record.” He had criticized the agencies, claiming that they were acting according to the script prepared by his teachers in Delhi.
The gold smuggling scam was discovered on July 5 following the seizure of 30 kg of the metal from a shipment addressed to the United Arab Emirates consulate in the state capital. A multi-agency team led by the National Investigation Agency is investigating the case and 34 people have so far been arrested.
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