Thiruvananthapuram The court on Saturday ordered recording of Sandeep Nair’s - the main accused in diplomatic gold smuggling case - secret testimony over his allegation of Enforcement Directorate(ED) pressuring him to name Chief minister in the case.
The Magistrate Court judge in Ernakulam dealing with economic offences, Justice C Deepu delivered the ruling asking Judicial First Class Magistrate court in Kolenchery to record Sandeep’s secret testimony under CRP 164.
Sandeep earlier sent a detailed letter to the magistrate complaining he was under duress from ED forcing him name Chief Minister in the gold smuggling case. In response, the Crime Branch registered a case against ED and took down Sandeep’s testimony from Poojapura prison where he is currently lodged. Sandeep endorsed coercion on part of ED in his statements to Crime Branch officials too. The testimony was submitted to the magistrate court.
The Crime Branch has another case against ED based on Swapna Suresh’s voice recording and witness statement from a woman police officer in charge of the Swapna’s security. It has now decided to have the secret testimony of that woman cop too recorded similarly.
