NEW DELHI: Former chief minister's principal secretary M Sivasankar will remain on bail in the case registered by the enforcement directorate in connection with the gold smuggling through the diplomatic channel. The Supreme Court rejected ED’s demand to impose a stay on Sivasankar's bail. The apex court will consider after six weeks ED's plea filed against the high court verdict granting him bail.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED argued that there was evidence against Sivasankar and the high court granted him bail without considering this. The court rejected the claim pointing that the money recovered from Sivasankar was below Rs one crore and that he is ill. The court did not consider ED's claim that Sivasankar is acting ill and that the total amount of the gold smuggled was more than a crore.

Justice Ashok Bhushan asked during the hearing what was the allegation against Sivasankar. The Additional Solicitor General said that Sivasankar, former principal secretary to the chief minister, had conspired to smuggle gold while in office. He also pointed that it was Sivasankar who kept the money in the locker. The gold was smuggled by someone else. He has no role in this, was the court’s response.

The ED said Sivasankar had called the customs officials to get the gold released. However, Jayadeep Gupta, who appeared for Sivasankar, mentioned in the affidavit filed in the high court that the latter did not call the customs. When the court directed to issue notice to Sivasankar, the ED wanted the bail to be stayed. However, the court made it clear that it could not be considered.