Police probe leaked ‘Swapna audio’ clip

TRIVANDRUM: An audio clip from an undertrial prisoner lodged in the women’s jail here claiming that she was under pressure to name Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has kicked up a row.

Opposition leaders say it was meant to help the ruling Communist Party of India (Marist) or CPM entangled in a series of scams in the middle of civic elections.

In the clip widely circulated on social media by CPM handles, Swapna Suresh claims that she was being intimidated to admit that Vijayan was also a partner in the crime.

Counter-terror National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested her from Bangalore on July 11 ater she fled the state when customs busted a smuggling racket.

She was working as the business development manager of the prestigious Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL) here then.

Swapna has since been under detention, interrogated by at least four federal agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), for smuggling, bribery and money laundering.

While on the run, she had released a similar voice clip claiming that the gold smuggling scam was targeted at the Vijayan government ahead of elections.

In the latest one, she says the ED sleuths investigating economic offences were intimidating her in prison to make a statement against Vijayan.

She says they offered to make her an approver if she admits that she hand engaged in negotiating in “money deals for the CM” abroad.

She also alleges that they asked her to sign documents regarding her statement without letting her read them.

Following this, the director-general of police (prisons) Rishi Raj Singh directed deputy inspector general (DIG) Ajayakumar on how she managed to send out the message.

“We will seek the help of the cyber cell of Kerala police in the mater,” the DGP (Prisons) told reporters here.

Ajaykumar on Thursday morning reached the prison and questioned her, during which she admited that it was her voice, but she did not remember when it was recorded.