Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate pressured much to give testimony against Chief Minister, says key accused in gold smuggling case, Sandeep Nair. His revelation comes in the letter he sent to Ernakulam District Sessions Judge from his prison cell.
ED assured that implicating CM and some high-ranking officials would make bail easier, says Sandeep in his letter, adding that there was much pressure to name son of a prominent leader too. Sandeep claims there is threat to his life and accused investigating officer Radhakrishnan for it.
The probe into gold smuggling is being done in a rather irresponsible way. There is no investigation into where the money got deposited. The probe officials are causing mental agony by constantly leaking stories to the media, says Sandeep in his letter sent to the Additional Sessions judge through his lawyer.
Earlier, another accused Swapna Suresh too came out with similar claims. Despite having no knowledge of some firms, ED pressured to say the Chief Minister and some other ministers had links with them, Swapna had said in her handwritten letter. Her voice recording too containing similar note had surfaced and later looked up by Crime Branch. In the clip, she was heard saying ED promised her immunity if she would testify against CM.
Besides, the Customs team comprises a female official arraigned by CBI. The officer in question is Customs Superintendent Ancy Philip - booked by CBI as main culprit in their case involving I kilo gold smuggled into the airport. Though not part of the official probe team, a high-ranking official has pressed her into investigations informally. She spent around five hours in jail with Swapna Suresh. Also, dubious has been her presence in several sessions where Swapna was interrogated.
These disturbing revelations come amid accusation gaining strength that, the centre misuses investigating agencies to serve political interests.
