Life Mission: HC directs trial court to produce documents regarding Sivasankar's health 

KOCHI: The High Court has directed the trial court to produce the documents regarding the health of M Sivasankar, who was arrested by the ED in the Life Mission bribery case. Justice A Badaruddin gave the direction to the Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court, which is hearing cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Sivasankar, the former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, filed the bail petition stating that his health condition is very bad. When the ED objected that this claim was wrong, the High Court directed to produce the documents regarding Sivasankar's health condition. The court will consider the petition again on April 5.

Senior Supreme Court advocate Jayadeep Gupta, who appeared for Sivasankar, had claimed that Sivasankar had serious health problems. The central government lawyer appearing on behalf of ED said that Sivasankar had returned to service after getting bail by raising this claim. He also demanded that the documents given in the trial court regarding Sivasankar's health condition should be summoned and examined.

The ED on Wednesday presented the investigation progress report on the dollar smuggling case related to the Life Mission bribery in a sealed cover. The ED stated that the report contains the statement given by Chartered Accountant Venugopal confirming that the money received from Swapna's bank lockers belonged to Sivasankar.