THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Customs has recorded the testimony of T V Anupama IAS, director of Woman and Child Development corporation over the distribution of 17,000 kg of dates imported via UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. When the dates were imported, Anupama was the director of the social justice department. Customs has sought the details of quantities of dates which were sent to other districts of the state. Customs has earlier sent a questionnaire to the secretary of social welfare department, Biju Prabhakar, seeking details on the distribution of dates. Sources say Anupama was quizzed to get more clarity over the issue.

Customs department has earlier filed a case against dates distribution and sought clarification from the state government on the issue. Customs is investigating this case followed by the case of smuggling gold through diplomatic baggage. Customs is of the view that proper norms were not followed by the UAE consulate while transferring religious texts along with the dates. Dates were also found in the diplomatic baggage from which gold was seized by the customs department.

Anupama has told customs that she has informed all details on facilitating importing of dates to chief minister’s then joint secretary, M Shivashankar. Even though customs has sought documents on communication between the state government and UAE consulate on importing of dates, general administration department replied that no such documents are available. Sources say that the programmes were arranged on the basis of direct commands from the chief minister’s office and his joint secretary M Shivashankar.