Kerala govt moves SC against ED's plea to transfer gold smuggling case to Bengaluru

The Kerala government on Saturday approached the Supreme Court against the ED's petition to transfer the investigation into the 2020 gold smuggling case to Bengaluru.

The Kerala government has moved the Supreme Court against the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea seeking the transfer of trial in gold smuggling case to Bengaluru. The state government said that if the transfer is allowed on the allegations now raised, it will have an adverse effect on the governance of the state.

The ED Kochi Zone Assistant Director had asked the court for permission to move the case to a Bengaluru court. Sources said that the move is due to the fear that the state government may influence the witnesses in the case.

The state also stated that the ED made allegations against all the tall political offices, without arraying them as parties. Many of the documents produced, especially the statements of the accused, have no bearing on the list to be resolved, it said.

The move comes at a time when the bench led by Chief Justice of India UU Lalit has decided to take up the ED’s plea for transfer. The probe agency said state government is trying to subvert the case as it hinted at the involvement of several top politicians.

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On July 5, 2020, customs officials at the international airport in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram seized baggage containing gold weighing over 30 kg and valued at around Rs 15 crore. The gold was inside diplomatic baggage and addressed to the UAE consulate.

The gold seizure snowballed into a major political controversy that shook the foundation of the ruling Left government, especially after top bureaucrat M Sivasankar got involved.