ERNAKULAM: The crime branch has moved the court seeking permission to question Sandeep Nair, accused in the gold smuggling case. The action is in the case registered by the crime branch against ED. The crime branch approached the Ernakulam district sessions court. The crime branch registered a case against the ED following a complaint by Sandeep Nair that ED officials were forcing him to say the name of the chief minister. The crime branch informed the court that in this situation, truth can be ascertained only by questioning the accused.

Meantime, the ED informed the court that the FIR of the crime branch against the officials investigating the gold smuggling case, is baseless. Crime branch probe is to destroy evidences in the case, alleged the ED. Another agency has no permission to examine the evidences collected by an investigating agency. The court has to examine this.

The crime branch is trying to create fake evidences in the gold smuggling case. ED told the court that they could file a case against the crime branch for this. Swapna's phone was recorded with the help of a police woman on security duty. She has been made a witnesses in the case. The ED said this was clear from Swapna’s statement. The argument in ED’s plea seeking quashing of the crime branch case is continuing.

Meantime, the DGP not signing the probe order against ED is also being discussed. Instead it was signed by two junior superintendents of the T-section, a secret unit that handles only DGP's files at the police headquarters.