Thiruvananthapuram: The Enforcement Directorate(ED) officials took M Sivasankar into arrest after the High Court turned down his anticipatory bail plea, early in the day. Sivasankar was arrested from Triveni Ayurveda Hospital in Vanchiyoor at 10.45 by ED and Customs officials, who transported him to Kochi.
In the hearing on anticipatory plea submitted by Sivasankar and counter from ED and Customs, the court clarified there was no hindrance to making arrest if found necessary.
In the court, both ED and Customs raised objections to Sivasankar’s potential bail. The bureaucrat played a telling role in the gold smuggling conspiracy, they argued, adding that, Swapna was only a pawn in the racketeering. The wealth stashed away in the locker is profits earned for facilitating smuggling; Smuggling is damning to the country’s economy; There should be no compromise on that front; A more clearer picture of Sivasankar’s role in smuggling is to be elicited, , the probe agencies told court.
Swapna was largely controlled by Sivasankar; If allowed bail, Sivasankar - who is a high ranking government official - could seriously hamper investigations, they added.
