Gold smuggling case: Kerala High Court cancels FIRs against ED officials

The Court further suggested that the investigating officials should submit the information gathered in the matter in a sealed cover to the PMLA court
Kerala High Court
Kerala High Court

As a setback to the CPI(M) led Pinarayi government, the Kerala High Court quashed the two FIRs registered by the state police against Enforcement Directorate officials for allegedly forcing the main accused in the gold smuggling case to give statements against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The Court stated that the police should have approached the Special PMLA Court, which handles cases related to gold smuggling, seeking remedy on how to handle the case since ED officials were fabricating evidence.

The Court further suggested that the investigating officials should submit the information gathered in the matter in a sealed cover to the PMLA court. The verdict was based on two pleas filed by Deputy Director of ED Kochi Zone P Radhakrishnan.

On March 17, the Crime Branch registered the case based on a report filed by its team which was investigating the leak of voice clip purportedly belonging to Swapna Suresh. According to the FIR, the ED officials probing the case had forced Swapna Suresh while questioning to give false statements against the Kerala Chief Minister in order to fabricate evidence.

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