By Express News Service
KOCHI: After spending 98 days in jail and the custody of assorted investigation companies, former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar was launched on bail by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) court docket on Wednesday. Sivasankar was launched from Kakkanad District Jail after being granted bail within the greenback smuggling case probed by the Customs.
There are three instances towards the suspended Kerala principal secretary. Sivasankar was first granted bail by the Kerala High Court within the case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) associated to cash laundering behind the smuggling of 167 kg gold underneath the quilt of diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. He was later granted statutory bail by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) court docket within the Thiruvananthapuram diplomatic gold smuggling case probed by the Customs.
On Wednesday, he was granted bail by the court docket within the case through which an worker of the UAE consulate smuggled 1.9 lakh US {dollars} whereas travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to the UAE through Muscat in August 2019.
The court docket maintained that investigations into his ‘minimal’ function within the case are full and therefore he may be launched on bail. “Having regard to the minimal complicity of Sivasankar and stage of the investigation, the court is of the view that further detention in custody is no longer essential for successful future investigation of the case. The investigation officer has not sought the custody of Sivasankar in the case at hand, obviously for reason that detention in custody is not required. Presumably, a major part of the investigation on the petitioner’s limited role is complete. As a result, the court is inclined to release the petitioner on bail,” the court docket stated.
The statement made by the Kerala High Court relating to his well being situation when he was granted bail within the ED case was cited as one more reason by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) court docket for allowing him bail within the greenback case. “High Court has considered the health condition of Sivasankar being a cancer survivor who had undergone surgery and further he was advised to undertake regular follow-up visits. The High Court observed that Sivasankar is neither a flight risk nor has the propensity to tamper with evidence or influence witnesses in view of the fact that the statements of accused and crucial witnesses were already taken,” the court docket noticed.
The bail was allowed on the situation of executing a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two solvent sureties every for the sum. The sureties ought to produce the unique title deed for verification. Sivasankar needs to be current earlier than the investigation officer as and when required till the submitting of the cost sheet. He shall not tamper with proof or affect the witnesses. Sivasankar’s passport has already been surrendered earlier than the court docket as a part of executing bail within the gold smuggling case.
Sivasankar’s brother was current on the court docket when the court docket granted bail. Soon, two sureties have been organized and paper work on the court docket for executing the bail was accomplished. At round 1 pm, the court docket issued the discharge order and Sivasankar’s lawyer and relations left for the Ernakulam District Jail in Kakkanad. He was launched from the jail by 3 pm and headed to his residence in Thiruvananthpuram after assembly his legal professionals. He didn’t reply to the questions of reporters ready exterior the jail.
It was on October 28 that Sivasankar was arrested by ED within the cash laundering case. After spending almost two weeks in ED custody, he was remanded to the Ernakulam District Jail. Later, the Customs recorded his arrest and took him into custody for almost 10 days within the gold smuggling case. Last month, his arrest was recorded within the greenback smuggling case.
The Customs and ED relied on the assertion given by prime accused Swapna Suresh to arraign Sivasankar as accused in these instances. Sivasankar can also be an accused within the case probed by the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in reference to corruption within the LIFE Mission undertaking, the state authorities’s housing undertaking for the poor.
