Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 20: The Kerala gold smuggling case, which shook the Pinarayi Vijayan government in 2020, took a fresh turn on Thursday as the Supreme Court observed that the allegations were "serious" and questioned the opposition to transferring the trial out of Kerala.
A bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal was hearing a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2022, seeking to move the trial from the Special PMLA Court in Ernakulam to a corresponding court in Karnataka. The Kerala government sought a postponement, citing the unavailability of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was appearing on its behalf.
During the hearing, Justice Sundresh remarked, “Allegations are serious, and why should the ED not seek a transfer?” The bench also noted that opposing the transfer seemed unnecessary, given the gravity of the case.
Once Sibal appeared, he strongly opposed the transfer, arguing that since the investigation was completed and charges had been framed, shifting the trial to Karnataka was unnecessary. He also suggested that the ED’s initial push for Karnataka was politically motivated, pointing out that after a non-BJP government took charge in Karnataka in 2023, the agency seemed to have lost interest in transferring the case there.
Justice Sundresh responded to Sibal’s remarks by indicating that the court was open to transferring the case to Karnataka, saying, “We can have Karnataka.” Sibal, in turn, stated he had “no problem with Karnataka.” The bench then directed the ED to issue notices to the newly added accused to prevent legal complications in the future. The case was adjourned for two weeks.
The Gold Smuggling Case
The case dates back to July 2020, when Customs officials seized gold worth ?14.82 crore at Trivandrum International Airport. The gold was smuggled using diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.
Among the key accused was M. Sivasankar, a senior IAS officer and then-principal secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Sivasankar was arrested, jailed, released on bail, reinstated, and later re-arrested in a separate bribery case before securing bail again on medical grounds.
Another key figure in the case, Swapna Suresh, who briefly worked at the UAE Consulate and later for a Kerala government IT project, alleged after her release that Vijayan, his wife, and daughter were involved in the smuggling operation. Other accused include P.S. Sarith and Sandeep Nair, both known associates of Swapna Suresh.
The ED and CBI investigations reportedly placed the Kerala government in a difficult position. In response, the Kerala Police registered an FIR against ED officials for allegedly fabricating evidence and even set up a judicial commission against the agency’s probe. However, the Kerala High Court later blocked these moves.
With the Supreme Court now scrutinizing the case and considering a trial transfer, the high-profile scandal continues to unfold, keeping the Vijayan government under pressure.