"Shocked...law must take its course": Tharoor reacts to former staff's involvement in gold smuggling

NEW DELHI: Reacting to the reports that his staff was apprehended at Delhi airport for smuggling gold, MP Shashi Tharoor said it was his former staff and law must take its course. In a post on X, Tharoor said that he was shocked to learn about the incident involving his former staff, a 72-year-old undergoing frequent dialysis. Tharoor added that he was retained on a part-time basis on compassionate grounds.

"While I am in Dharamshala for campaigning purposes, 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. I do not condone any alleged wrongdoing and fully support the authorities in their efforts to take any necessary action as may be required to investigate the matter. The law must take its own course," Shashi Tharoor wrote on X.

Two persons, including Tharoor's staff Sivakumar Prasad, were arrested yesterday at the Delhi International Airport for gold smuggling. Customs officials seized 500 grams of gold from his possession. Sivakumar had come to the airport to take gold from a passenger from Dubai. He was rumoured to be Shashi Tharoor's PA. However, as per reports, his name is not in the official staff list of Shashi Tharoor. Sivakumar was doing part-time work based at his home in Delhi.

Meanwhile, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the BJP candidate from Thiruvananthapuram constituency, has also reacted to the incident. "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 smugglers," Chandrasekhar wrote on X.