A former staff member of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was detained at the Delhi airport in a gold smuggling case on Wednesday, May 29. The accused, identified as Shiv Kumar Prasad, was caught for allegedly smuggling 500 gm of gold, according to reports. Prasad was reportedly working as the PA for Shashi Tharoor.
Tharoor, who is the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said that Prasad was rendering part-time service in airport facilitation assistance.
Prasad was at the Delhi airport to receive a passenger arriving from Dubai. And both of them were arrested after Prasad received a package.
"Prasad has an aerodrome entry permit card that allows him access to airport premises. He entered the airport premises and received a packet when he was held along with the passenger," news agency ANI said, quoting sources.
Responding to the incident, Shashi Tharoor wrote on X, “...I was shocked to hear of an incident involving a former member of my staff who has been rendering part-time service to me in terms of airport facilitation assistance. He is a 72 year old retiree undergoing frequent dialysis and was retained on a part-time basis on compassionate grounds.”
Following the incident, the BJP dubbed the INDIA alliance of being “gold smugglers”.
“First CM secy involved in gold smuggling. Now Cong MP 'aide'/PA detained for gold smuggling. CPM and Cong - both INDI alliance partners - alliance of gold smuggler," Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted.
In 2020, Kerala's former principal secretary M Sivasankar was accused of smuggling gold.