NIA asks for CCTV footage from Kerala secretariat, summons Sivasankar again

Meanwhile the customs department has taken statements from Swapna and Sandeep Nair, accused in the gold smuggling case, while they were in NIA custody on Friday.
NIA asks for CCTV footage from Kerala secretariat, summons Sivasankar again
NIA asks for CCTV footage from Kerala secretariat, summons Sivasankar again
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned former IT and principal secretary to the Kerala Chief Minister, M Sivasankar for questioning in the gold smuggling case. The top bureaucrat who has been suspended following allegations of his links to the key accused in the smuggling case, has been ordered to appear at the NIA office in Kochi on Monday. This would be the second time that the NIA would be questioning Sivasankar.

The NIA had on Thursday quizzed Sivasankar for close to 5 hours in connection to the case, where 30 kilograms of smuggled gold seized from a diplomatic bag at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. 

According to reports, the top bureaucrat was questioned at the Police Club in Peroorkada on Thursday. Following his interrogation, the accused in the case Swapna Suresh and associates were questioned once again. 

Earlier, leaked call logs of Sivasankar had shown at least 5 phone calls between him and PS Sarith, an accused in the case. It has also been reported that the apartment where the conspiracy regarding the gold smuggling was hatched, was allegedly booked by a former employee of the IT Department on the direction of Sivasankar.

NIA orders for CCTV visuals from Secretariat 

The NIA has now asked for CCTV visuals from the secretariat between July 1 and July 12. On Thursday, a letter was sent to the under secretary of the Local Self Government Department by the NIA asking for the same. 

Customs quiz Swapna and Sandeep

Meanwhile the Customs department took the statements of accused Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair while the duo were in NIA custody on Friday.

The NIA custody of the accused ends on Friday. Whole PS Sarith was handed over to judicial custody on Friday, the other two accused are expected to be produced before the court later today.

According to reports, customs maintains that the statement of the accused were taken so that their formal arrest can be recorded by the department. 

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