THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The NIA has been grilling former principal secretary to chief minister, M Sivasankar for the fifth hour. Head of NIA South India K B Vandana and NIA officials from Bengaluru are also attending the interrogation along with the officials in Kochi.

The NIA is seeking clarity on his contradictory statements given during the interrogation in the capital city. He appeared at the NIA office in Kochi in his own vehicle without trying for an anticipatory bail.

In the meanwhile, the process of copying the CCTV footages of the secretariat to find whether the accused in the case have reached the Secretariat, has started. The NIA has demanded two years footages. The interrogation faced by Sivasankar is a litmus test for the Pinayari Government.

NIA director general Yogesh Chander Modi is monitoring the interrogation via video conference at the headquarters in Delhi. Sivasankar left for Kochi early Monday morning at 4.30 am from his house in the capital city. He reached the NIA office by 9.15 am.

The complete interrogation is video graphed. A questionnaire was prepared by the senior officials who reached Kochi from Hyderabad. Sivasankar may be arrested if his role in the case is proved or if he confesses to the crime. The NIA had the other day sought legal advice on including him in the list of accused.

Sivasankar had admitted that he has personal connection with the accused. The NIA team will mainly quiz on whether he knew about the smuggling, whether he is directly or indirectly related and whether he has obtained any remuneration etc. He was earlier questioned by the NIA last Thursday for nearly five hours. They later issued a notice asking him to appear at their office in Kochi.