ED to quiz Kerala CM’s additional secy

THE ED HAS ORDERED THE SEIZURE OF ALL PROPERTIES OF THE JUNIOR KODIYERI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ED has summoned Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s additional private secretary C M Raveendran for questioning on Friday in connection with a gold smuggling racket that surfaced in July amid protests by the ruling Left Democratic Front that central agencies were trying to weaken the state government.

Another former aide to the CM, senior IAS officer M Sivasankar is already in judicial custody in connection with the case. Raveendran had been summoned last month, but he could not appear before the ED after he tested positive for Covid-19.

Fresh summons were sent to Raveendran after he tested negative for the viral disease, said a senior official who is part of a multi-agency probe into the smuggling racket. He was summoned on the basis of the statement by Sivasankar, said the official, who requested anonymity.

The LDF has suffered one setback after another in recent months. Former Communist Party of India (Marxist) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s son

Bineesh Kodiyeri is in jail in connection with a Bengaluru drug haul.

Balakrishnan has been forced to proceed on long leave.

The ED has ordered the seizure of all properties of the junior Kodiyeri. He landed in trouble after a suspect arrested in the Bengaluru drug racket named him and the NCB found that he had financial links to the racket

The LDF has announced a series of protests against central agencies, alleging that they were trying to destabilise the elected government.

The gold smuggling racket came to light on July 5 after the seizure of 30 kg of the metal from a consignment addressed to the UAE consulate in the state capital. A multi-agency team headed by the NIA is probing the case and 34 people have been arrested so far.