CPI-M Kerala State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Friday said that central government agencies are probing high-profile gold smuggling case and drug racketeering and if his son Bineesh Kodiyeri is found guilty in any of the cases, he should be arrested.
Addressing a press conference via video conference, Balakrishnan commented upon his son Bineesh Kodiyeri's alleged links with drug trafficking gang and gold smuggling cases as alleged by Muslim Youth League ( MYL) state general secretary PK Firoz. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala also levelled the same allegation later.
Balakrishnan said, "The central agencies are probing the gold smuggling case. If Bineesh Kodiyeri is involved in anything, let it be probed and if found guilty let him be arrested. No one is going to protect anyone guilty. The opposition leader is raising many allegations. If he has any proof against Bineesh, he should hand it over to investigation agencies."
Further, he said, "No one is going to protect Bineesh. If he is found guilty let him be arrested. If he has committed any crime that needs to be hanged, let him be hanged"
"As a Communist, I have faced attacks from many quarters. So if anyone thinks that I can be weakened by raising any baseless allegation against my son Bineesh, it's just a fallacy. Let the investigation agencies probe it, as a parent too I am not going to protect anyone," he added.
Earlier in the day, Ramesh Chennithala, Congress leader said, "There is a clear link between the Kerala Gold Smuggling Case and the drug trafficking mafia caught in Bengaluru. I am requesting the central and state governments to do a proper enquiry of the case. The accused in the gold smuggling case went hiding in Bengaluru. Swapna Suresh's connection with the drug racket has to come out. The CBI should investigate the matter."
Three accused kha, Muhammad Anoop and Rijesh Raveendran were arrested by police in Bangaluru last week in connection with drug trafficking.
On September 2, PK Firoz had alleged that Bineesh Kodieyeri, son of Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, has close links with the drug smuggling accused who was arrested in Bengaluru last week, which was denied by the latter.
"Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh was detained in Bangalore on June 10. The same day Bineesh has contacted Anoop in Bangalore. Smuggling case investigation officials should take all these into consideration, " he had said.
The Customs Department on Friday submitted an application before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (Economic Offences) seeking permission to interrogate Ramees KT, an accused in Kerala Gold smuggling case.
The customs informed the court that they want to interrogate Ramees about his relation with Mohammed Anoop, who was earlier arrested by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Bengaluru drug case. Customs also sought permission to handover the digital evidence seized by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case.
Notably, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kochi had a couple of week back extended the judicial custody of three key accused in this case -- Swapna Suresh, Sarith PS, and Sandeep Nair -- till September 9.
The matter, which pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels, had come to light after 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crores, smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage, was busted by the Customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5.
( With inputs from ANI )
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