Kochi, Mar 25 (IANS): The Customs Department on Wednesday issued summons for the third time to Vinodhini Balakrishnan, the wife of CPI-M's former Kerala state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, for questioning in relation to the "present" of a iPhone by a Life Mission project beneficiary.

She has been asked to appear before them at their office here on March 30.

The Customs Department had first issued notice to her asking her to appear on March 10 but she did not turn up. A second notice summoning her on Tuesday also went unheeded.

The Customs officials are taking her attitude seriously and are likely to approach the court for appropriate action if she fails to turn up on March 30.

Vinodhini was asked to appear before them in connection with the infamous missing iPhone, which was allegedly given by Santhosh Eapen, who heads Unitac Builders that received the contract for the Life Mission flats project at Wadakkanchery in Thrissur district.

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

In an affidavit filed before the High Court, Eapen is seeking the quashing of the FIR registered against him which had mentioned that Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the gold smuggling case, had asked him to buy five iPhones to be given to VIP guests invited to participate in the UAE National Day celebrations held here in December 2019.

Trouble began after rumours started that Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader, Ramesh Chennithala, was given one of the iPhones but he denied it and threatened legal action against those who were trying to malign him.

At that time, the owner of the most expensive iPhone could not be identified. But the Customs has now managed to locate its owner and it has been found that Vinodhini was using the iPhone worth Rs 1.13 lakh.

Balakrishnan was forced to step down as the state Secretary in 2020 after his younger son Bineesh Kodiyeri was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in Bengaluru, following his close friend's arrest by the Narcotics Control Bureau. Even, now he continues to be in jail there.

The CPI-M leader's elder son Binoy Kodiyeri is also entangled in a case where a Bihar woman has approached a Mumbai court, saying that her child is the son of Binoy, who is already married and has a family.

Balakrishnan last week told the media that whatever he has heard about his wife being asked to appear before the Customs is from media reports, adding that his wife has not been served any notice nor does she know Eapen.