Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Thiruvananthapuram:
Faced with the flak of the opposition asking for his resignation, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote a letter on Wednesday to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for his “intervention for an effective investigation” on the seizure of more than 30 kg of gold from l international airport.
P Vijayan, in his letter, said that the case had serious implications as it undermines the economy of the country.
“The fact that the attempt to smuggle a huge amount of gold was concealed in diplomatic baggage makes the case extremely serious. We learn that customs officials are investigating the incident. The case has serious implications as it undermines the nation’s economy. In fact, it has more than one angle warranting further investigation, “said P Vijayan.
He also requested an investigation into the incident by the central agencies concerned, saying that the scope of the investigation should cover all aspects, from the source to the end use, so that such incidents do not recur.
He also said the state government would provide any assistance necessary for the investigation.
Following allegations that a former employee of a foreign consulate, who was the subject of a customs investigation, was also appointed by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a consulting agency, the PWC said that a third-party agency Delhi-based NCR had carried out a criminal record check and found that there were no criminal cases against it.
Meanwhile, Union Minister for State V Muraleedharan told reporters in Delhi that the baggage in which the gold was hidden was not “diplomatic baggage”.
“We cannot call this diplomatic baggage. But it was a cargo that came for a diplomat. Diplomatic baggage is an official parcel sent from any country officially. Here, a person had sent a parcel to a person enjoying diplomatic immunity, airways bill, diplomatic baggage was written.
The person who came to receive the package did not have the required papers, “said Mr. Muraleedharan.
He also said that the center would investigate the matter diligently and that the culprits would be sentenced.
“It is the duty of the center to investigate smuggling. But the office of the chief minister must make it clear that his close associates are related to the accused. A woman, formerly employed in the IT department, who is also accused in this case, participated in and even coordinated major government events. How can the chief minister escape responsibility, “said V Muraleedharan.
He said members of the state government were trying to save the accused.
In response, the Minister of Industries, E P. Jayarajan, said that one of the accused in the case was an employee of the BJP.
“We all know now that Sandeep Nair, who runs away in the case, is a man with very close contact with senior BJP leaders, including Kummanam Rajashekharan. His accounts on social media prove it. also told the media that he was a BJP And now this person is on the run. This is only an attempt to tarnish the image of the state government, “said Jayarajan.
Kerala Assembly Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala Alleged Former Foreign Consulate Employee Under Customs Investigation Also Appointed By PricewaterhouseCoopers , a consulting agency.
He said that the role of PWC should also be probed.
At the same time, the PWC said in a statement: “Pursuant to the background check report provided to the Delhi-based third-party agency in the NCR, specializing in the supply of short-term resources and the payroll of the The employee concerned, her two former employers, namely the Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates, Kerala and AirIndia Sats Airport Services Pvt, confirmed “the eligibility to rehire” the employee concerned.
The PWC also said that the agency had specifically confirmed that the criminal record check had been carried out by them and that no criminal case had been found against it according to the report.
Kerala is in turmoil because of the smuggling of gold through an alleged diplomatic baggage with the armed opposition parties to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister.
