Kerala gold smuggling case: Swapna Suresh says she faced "mental torture in custody"

Kochi: A special NIA court on Friday sent Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, both prime accused in the high-profile Kerala gold smuggling case, to judicial custody till August 21.

Earlier today, the court remanded Sarith PS, who is another prime accused in the case, to judicial custody till August 21.

Swapna Suresh submitted before the court that she had suffered mental torture in custody and had given a statement to customs officials.

The court will consider the bail petitions of Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair on August 5.

The NIA, which is probing the high-profile case related to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels, had earlier taken Sarith PS, Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair to various places in Thiruvananthapuram including their residences and a flat near the Secretariat for collecting evidence.

NIA on Friday submitted before a special NIA court that around Rs10 million in cash and 982.5 grams of gold ornaments were seized from two bank lockers of Swapna Suresh, an accused in the high-profile Kerala gold smuggling case.

The agency, in its petition seeking judicial custody of accused Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, submitted that during this custody Swapna had disclosed that she kept the proceeds of crime at the bank lockers and invested as deposits in various banks.

"Accordingly, Rs 36.5 lakhs Indian currencies kept in a safe deposit locker of Swapna maintained at Federal Bank statue branch, Thiruvananthapuram, Rs 64 lakhs Indian currencies and 982.5 grams gold ornaments kept in the safe deposit locker of Swapna maintained at SBI Thiruvananthapuram branch were seized on July 23," the NIA submitted.

According to the NIA probe, the three prime accused in the matter had met and hatched the plan to commit the crime at the flat near the Secretariat. The investigation has found that the accused had managed to book the flat with the help of M Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister's Office.

Meanwhile, the NIA has also requested Interpol to issue a blue corner notice against Faisal Fareed, another accused in the high-profile case. Earlier, a non-bailable warrant was issued against Fareed by a special NIA court in Kochi.

The matter had come to light after 30kg gold worth Rs148.2 million (Dh7.2 million), smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage, was busted by customs in Thiruvananthapuram. The case is being probed by the NIA.