Kerala court rejects bail plea of Swapna Suresh in gold smuggling case

PTI, Aug 13, 2020, 4:54 PM IST

Kochi: A court here on Thursday dismissed the bail plea of the key accused in Kerala gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh and her co-accused, saying their instant release would certainly hamper the successful progress of the investigation by the Customs Preventive Commissionerate.

Dismissing the bail applications of Suresh and Said Alavi, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Economic Offences, said it has found ‘great force’ in the submission of the Customs that the petitioners are likely to tamper with evidence and help the absconding accused in the event of granting bail.

The Court observed that Suresh, who is the third accused in the case, is an ‘extremely influential lady’ and even after her resignation from Consulate, she continued to help the top officials of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.

‘That apart, she managed to obtain employment in the project proposed by the state government.

Her extreme influence in the corridors of power is evident from the available records. Such woman is not entitled to benefit of the proviso to Section 437 Cr PC,’ the Court observed.

In their petitions, Suresh and Alavi had said their detention was no longer required since the major part of the probe is complete.

Earlier on Monday, an NIA special court here had rejected the bail plea of Suresh in the terror angle of the gold smuggling case being investigated by the central agency, saying there are sufficient grounds for believing that the accusation made against her is prima facie true.

Multiple agencies including NIA, Customs and Enforcement Directorate are probing the case of smuggling of gold worth over Rs 100 crore through the diplomatic channel in Thiruvananthapuram since November last year.