What else they can do: Shah on Kerala seeking probe on central agencies

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the Kerela government does not have any other option left other than ordering a judicial inquiry against the central agency probe into Kerala gold smuggling scam for "face-saving".

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Shah said, "What else they can do for face-saving? They don't have any other option after their principal secretary has been arrested in the gold scam."

"It is their natural reaction. I'm not surprised," he added.

The Kerala Cabinet on Friday recommended a judicial probe against central investigation agencies subject to approval from the Election Commission, following an ongoing probe into several cases, including the Kerala gold smuggling case. The decision was taken at a virtual cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The Kerala gold smuggling case, which is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA,) along with the Enforcement Directorate and the customs department, pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels.

The matter had come to light after 30 kilograms of gold worth Rs 14.82 crores, smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage, was busted by customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5 last year. The customs department had also arrested Unitac Builders MD Santhosh Eappen also in a US Dollar smuggling case.