Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: Sports Minister’s Son In line of Flaring Issue After Higher Education Minister
With Sports Minister of Kerala E P Jayarajan’s son’s name has been surfaced in the gold smuggling case ss well as the scam pertaining to the housing project to build homes for the homeless and landless in the Thrissur district in the state with financial assistance from UAE charity Red Crescent, Kerala politics is flaring up with another minister in line.
by reporter
With Sports Minister of Kerala E P Jayarajan’s son’s name has been surfaced in the gold smuggling case ss well as the scam pertaining to the housing project to build homes for the homeless and landless in the Thrissur district in the state with financial assistance from UAE charity Red Crescent, Kerala politics is flaring up with another minister in line.
Widescale protests have been held across Kerala demanding the resignation of ministers E P Jayarajan and Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel who was questioned by the ED over the gold smuggling case. The Enforcement Directorate would reportedly question EP Jayaraja’s son Jaison soon. It has been reported as per investigation agency sources that Jaison, the minister’s son has nexus with the gold smuggling racket. The agency has revealed that the minister’s son had held a party for Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the gold smuggling case.
Massive protest demanding the resignation of the two ministers – EP Jayarajan and KT Jaleel held has been held by the opposition across the state. Police used water guns against and teargas against the protesters. The opposition Congress demanded the resignation of the minister. The BJP state president K Surendran jibed that Kairali, CPI (M) party channel in Kerala has earlier pointed out that the commission received from the Life Mission project is not Rs 1 crore received by the Swapna and the amount would come nearly at 4.5 crores. The rest of the amount had been received by Jayarajan’s son.
Meanwhile, Jayarajan’s wife Indira who has confirmed COVID has visited the bank violating quarantine rules sparking controversy. It was alleged by the opposition that the minister’s wife visited the bank and opened the locker to take back some important documents relating to the gold smuggling case. Dismissing the allegation the minister and wife have said that the visit was to take back the gold kept in the locker and she (the minister’s wife) is not tested COVID positive.
Even as the Finance Minister has informed in parliament session that further details over the gold smuggling case would not be disclosed so as to protect its confidant nature. The FM also has revealed that the gold had been smuggled through diplomatic baggage from UAE in the gold smuggling case and it was contradictory to the statements made by V Muraleedharan, the Union Minister for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs who had earlier said that the gold was smuggled not through the diplomatic channel. The Finance Ministry had been informed earlier in July by the Customs Commissioner that the gold had been smuggled through diplomatic baggage. The ruling LDF has demanded the resignation of union minister V Muralaeedharan citing that the minister’s statement has proved fake.
Meanwhile, the gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh has been hospitalized due to chest pain, and KT Rameez another accused in the case also has been admitted at the hospital. The allegation has been raised that Swapna contacted someone from outside using the phone of a nurse at the medical college hospital where she was admitted. The opposition has demanded a probe into the incident of Swapana contacted persons outside without seeking the permission of the investigation team.
The CPI, a major left ally of the LDF front in the ruling CPI (M) in Kerala is kept silent over the two ministers’ names surfaced over the boiling political issue sparked over a sensational gold smuggling case. The CPI (M) executive and the state committee meeting that will be held on 22 and 23 in this month would discuss the issue that getting entangled the left government in Kerala.