Kerala gold smuggling: SC issues notice to accused on ED's plea to transfer trial

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to four accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case in response to a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), seeking the transfer of the trial from Kerala to Karnataka. The bench, comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal, directed the accused to submit their responses within six weeks and scheduled the next hearing for July, after the summer vacation.

The Enforcement Directorate, represented by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, argued that a fair trial could not be conducted in Kerala due to the alleged close ties between the accused and top officials in the state government. Currently, the ED's plea includes Sarith PS, Swapna Prabha Suresh, Sandeep Nair, and Shri M Sivasankar as parties to the petition.

The case stems from the seizure of gold worth Rs 15 crore on July 5, 2020, from diplomatic baggage at Thiruvananthapuram airport, which was linked to the UAE Consulate. Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the consulate, along with Sandeep Nair, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Bengaluru on July 11, 2020. The ED, NIA, and Customs have all conducted separate investigations into the gold smuggling operation.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre whether diplomatic baggage could be subjected to scanning in India or if it was immune from search. The case continues to unravel significant political and legal connections, as several individuals, including former principal secretary to Kerala's Chief Minister, M Sivasankar, and another ex-employee of the UAE Consulate, Sarith PS, have been arrested in connection with the smuggling racket.

With PTI inputs