Gold smuggling case: HC stops Customs from arresting Sivasankar till Oct 23

The Kerala High Court on Monday

restrained the Customs, probing the Kerala gold smuggling case, from arresting M Sivasankar, suspended IAS officer and former principal secretary to the Chief Minister, till October 23.

The Court directed the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate to file its counter on his anticipatory bail plea by October 23.

In his petition, Sivasankar submitted that Customs officials, who arrived at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday last, to serve notice on him to appear before the probe team, took him along with them and as chest pain developed and at the instance of the officers, they rushed him to a nearby hospital in their car.

He said he was totally exhausted due to the constant and continued travel from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi to attend the questioning of the agency on various days.

Sivasankar, currently hospitalised in Thiruvananthapuram, said he was questioned by different agencies for more than 90 hours and even after prolonged questioning, none of the investigating agencies implicated him as an accused.

He alleged that the attempt of the investigating agency was to sabotage the process of law and choose a date that is Friday evening to arrest him.

Sivasankar submitted that he apprehends that the Customs will manage to register new crimes without any basis and get him remanded to custody "to satisfy political wisdom as well as other vested interests."

Seeking anticipatory bail, Sivasankar said he has complied with all the directions till now and there is no scope for him absconding also.

Last week, the High Court restrained the Enforcement Directorate, probing the money trail in the sensational gold smuggling case, from arresting Sivasankar, till October 23.