Television Journalist in Kerala Questioned Over Alleged Link to Key Accused in Gold Smuggling Case
News 18The Customs Commissionerate probing the Kerala gold smuggling case on Thursday interrogated a senior journalist over his alleged link with key accused Swapna Suresh, official sources said. Sources said the journalist had allegedly telephoned Suresh a couple of times when the media started reporting that the Customs had refused to release the diplomatic cargo, in which smuggled gold was concealed, to the UAE consulate authorities in Thiruvananthapuram. In a report filed in the court seeking extension of judicial remand of the accused, the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday had said Suresh kept the proceeds of the crime in a bank locker jointly opened with a third person as per the instruction of suspended IAS officer M Sivasankar. Earlier, the ED had said when Suresh was questioned, she revealed her "closeness" with Sivasankar, who was removed as the principal secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan after his links to the accused in the case surfaced.