NIA lets Sivasankar off after 10-hour questioning

KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has let off former IT Secretary M Sivasankar after questioning him for over 10 hours in connection with the gold smuggling case. Following this, the suspended IAS official has returned to his residence.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the central agency might summon Sivasankar once more for questioning. However, sources said that agency has not obtained any evidence against Sivasankar in order to add his name in the list of accused.

Earlier on Monday, Sivasankar was questioned for around 9 hours a team led by the agency's south zone chief KB Vandana. Following this, he was asked to remain in Kochi and appear for questioning on Tuesday.

Sivasankar's advocate S Rajiv said that the former IT Secretary has been fully cooperating with the investigation and had readily gone to the NIA office in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram whenever he was asked to.

Rajiv added that Sivasankar had also cooperated with the interrogation conducted by the Customs department. While stating that Sivasankar will not be arrested by the NIA, Rajiv added that the bureaucrat had not sought anticipatory bail as all his statements to the NIA were very clear.