Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 20 (IANS): The Customs Department has served a second notice to former Kerala CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's wife Vinodhini to appear before it on March 23.

She failed to appear before the Department the first time she was summoned on March 10.

Vinodhini has been summoned by the Customs Department in connection with the now infamous missing iPhone, which was allegedly given by Santhosh Eapen, one of the beneficiaries in the controversial Life Mission flat project.

The Customs have traced the iPhone to Vinodhini, who was found to have used it till the infamous Kerala gold smuggling case surfaced in July 2020.

Balakrishnan had to step down from his position as state secretary last year after his younger son Bineesh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in Bengaluru.

His elder son Binoy is also entangled in a case where a woman from Bihar approached the Bombay High Court, stating that her child is his son.

Regarding his wife's case, Balakrishnan told the media on Friday: "She has not been given any notice. She does not even know Eapen. The IMEI number of that particular phone is in possession of Eapen only. We do not have any phone that has been gifted. We have the bills of our phones."