Thiruvananthapuram : Greater BJP involvement in the gold smuggling case is beginning to emerge as investigations now stand at their crucial stage. Swapna Suresh’s testimony incriminating RSS channel head, Anil Nambiar, has put prominent BJP leaders including the Union Deputy Minister in tight spot. .
Probe officials have taken a serious view of Swapna’s claim that Anil Nambiar sought UAE Consulate favours for BJP. It would take a bit more digging to ascertain the exact nature of help Anil wished to broker and to find if leaders in BJP actually had their goods delivered.
Further, Swapna’s revelation of Anil Nambiar-advised getaway is also significant. Though Anil Nambiar rebutted Swapna’s claims during his questioning, probe officials believe that might far from truth. According to Swapna’s confession, Anil Nambiar advised her to have a written declaration from the Consulate General stating the intercepted baggage was private and not a diplomatic one. Anil denies this claim and his denial is largely interpreted as effort to protect BJP identities in the case.
Are probe agencies controlled ?
Though NIA sought permission to question certain individuals including UAE Consulate General, the Centre has not lend its nod to allow that. Also despite NIA requests, the Union Ministry for External Affairs expressed inability to have key suspects like Fareed Faisal deported from UAE for questioning and custody here. Incidentally, a probe team had left for Dubai to quiz Fareed there but were unable to even meet with him. The transferring of Joint Commissioner of Customs, Aneesh P Rajan in the middle of a probe he headed, has further heightened suspicions on on-goings involved.
With Swapna now divulging Anil Nambiar’s request for UAE consulate help for BJP, speculation is rife, if those were favours were meant for individuals positioned in the central government. For a clearer picture to emerge, it would be necessary to ascertain if anyone at the Centre had entrusted Anil Nambiar to act at their behest, given the media man's close association with BJP leaders Kumanam Rajashekaran, K Surendran.and Union Minister for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan.
