In a significant development in the Kerala gold smuggling saga, the Supreme Court on Thursday sent out notices to four key accused in the case, in response to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea seeking the transfer of the trial from Kerala to Karnataka. Justices MM Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal, overseeing the matter, have given the accused a six-week deadline to present their responses, with the case set to resume post-summer vacation in July.
The ED, represented by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, argued that the trial’s relocation was crucial to ensure a “free and fair trial,” citing potential influences in Kerala due to alleged connections between the accused and high-ranking Kerala government officials.
The controversy revolves around the seizure of gold worth Rs 15 crore from the diplomatic baggage at the Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5, 2020, which was purportedly linked to several individuals including Sarith PS, Swapna Prabha Suresh, Sandeep Nair, and M Sivasankar, a former high-level aide to Kerala’s Chief Minister.
The case, which has roped in multiple agencies including the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Customs, began with the dramatic arrest of Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair by the NIA in Bengaluru on July 11, 2020. Since then, it has unravelled a complex network implicating various consulate and state government personnel.
The Supreme Court’s involvement adds a new layer to the case as it also examines whether diplomatic bags can be subjected to scanning in India, addressing broader implications on the enforcement of international diplomatic protocols.
