Why Swapna’s allegations give jitters to CPM & BJP in Kerala

Sreejith Kumar

Thiruvananthapuram: The latest ‘revelation’ of Swapna Suresh (in pic), a prime accused in the diplomatic channel gold smuggling case, was so powerful that it had given jitters to the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in Kerala.

On June 7, Swapna alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his family members and other top bureaucrats were involved in various smuggling activities. The case surfaced after the Customs Department, on July 5, 2020, confiscated a baggage containing gold weighing over 30 kg and valued at around Rs 15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.

The gold was addressed to the United Arab Emirates’ Consulate and came through the diplomatic channel. The state government requested the Centre to investigate the case after opposition political parties had alleged the involvement of the chief minister’s office and his then Principal Secretary S. Shivasankar in the gold smuggling. Subsequently, three central agencies – the NIA, Customs and the Enforcement Directorate – launched a probe.

The probe agencies arrested Sarith, Swapna Suresh, Sandeep Nair and Shivasankar and questioned them for a month. But the probe apparently derailed after the team stumbled upon two persons - Anil Nambiar, co-ordinating editor of pro-RSS channel Janam TV and Sandeep Nair, a BJP leader. It was alleged that Nambiar had contacted Swapna the day baggage arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram airport.

By the end of 2021 all the three were released on bail. Shivasankar, who was suspended from the service, was reinstated by the government. The probe by the central agencies and the allegations from the UDF and BJP had put the chief minister’s office under cloud. Notwithstanding the allegations, the LDF registered a thumping win in the 2021 Assembly election and retained power. Meanwhile, the NIA had stopped the investigation and the Customs submitted the chargesheet in the court. And that is why Swapna’s latest allegations against the chief minister raised many eyebrows. In fact, she chose to confess in the Ernakulam District Court (under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code). Even the officials of the central agencies, who were part of the investigating team, expressed surprise over her statement. According to them, the Customs department had already submitted a similar statement in the Kerala High Court on March 5, 2021. But what remains a mystery till date is who sent the baggage containing the gold. CPM State Secretariat alleged that the investigation derailed once it began moving towards BJP leaders.

For the Congress, the latest allegations have given an opportunity to rejuvenate the rank and file especially after its resounding victory in the recent Thrikkakara byelection. But the lack of enthusiasm in the BJP to organise protests has raised many questions. In the last Assembly election, the party drew a blank as it lost its lone sitting seat to CPM despite getting enough financial and political support from the Centre. Its disconnect with the voters came to the fore once again when the party’s senior leader  AN Radhakrishnan fared miserably in the recent byelection to Thrikkakara assembly constituency.

It is believed that Swapna Suresh’s current association with an NGO, HRDS India, which is said to have close ties with Sangh Parivar, is the reason for her latest allegations. HRDS Vice President K.G. Venugopal is a former RSS Pracharak. Venugopal’s close links with Goa Governor and senior BJP leader P.S. Sreedharan Pillai is also well known.Swapna Suresh’s advocate Krishna Raj is a BJP sympathiser and a self-proclaimed "Hindu Extremist".

(The writer is a
journalist based in
Thiruvananthapuram)