NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is ready to give Swapna Suresh's secret statement against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family in the gold smuggling case, to the Supreme Court. The ED has informed the court in writing that the statement would be given in a sealed cover if the court demands. The ED clarified their stand on the plea to transfer the gold smuggling case outside Kerala. The ED filed a transfer plea in the Supreme Court demanding that the trial of the gold smuggling case through diplomatic channels be shifted to Bengaluru. ED filed the 59-page plea on July 6. The plea was registered on July 19.

The centre is making a move along with the ED to transfer the case to a court in Bengaluru on the concern of Kerala government sabotaging the money laundering case related to gold smuggling via diplomatic channel. Kochi zone assistant director of the Enforcement Directorate filed the plea in the apex court requesting to transfer the case to Bengaluru.

The ED is trying to transfer the case with the number 610/2020 which is in Ernakulam principal sessions court with Swapna Suresh, P S Sarith, Sandeep Nair and M Sivasankar as the accused, to Bengaluru. A decision was taken to transfer the case outside Kerala in the two top level meetings held in Delhi. Top level meetings were held in Delh after Swapna levelled serious allegations against the chief minister and his family. Top officials of the union finance ministry, home and law ministries and senior advocates of centre attended the meet. The case taken against them and the intervention of the police after Swapna’s revelation were discussed in the meetings. The ED registered Swapna’s statement in the money laundering case on June 22 and 23. Her statement was registered after she testified before the magistrate court on her own.

What provoked ED to change court
1) The crime branch registered two cases against the ED officials in the name of revelations of Swapna and Sandeep. (These cases were later quashed by the High Court)

2) Justice V K Mohan appointed judicial commission for investigation against central agencies including ED (High Court had stayed this)

3) Senior IAS officer Sivasankar reinstated into service. Sivasankar, who is in top post, will try to subvert the case by influencing the witnesses and interfering with government agencies.

4) It is alleged that there is pressure to change Swapna’s statement against many including the chief minister. It is alleged that the government and the police are budging pressure to implicate Swapna in cases and make her retract statement.