Dollar smuggling case: Court grants bail to M Sivasankar
Feb 03, 2021
Kochi (Kerala) [India], February 3 : The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) Court on Wednesday granted bail to former principal secretary to the Kerala Chief Minister's office, M Sivasankar in the US Dollar smuggling case.
Sivasankar, who in Judicial custody for over three months had been granted bail by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court on Monday in the Kerala Gold Smuggling Case being probed by Customs Department, however, remained in prison because the case registered against him regarding the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) dollar smuggling.
The Economic Offences Court, while granting bail to the former principal secretary to the Kerala CMO observed that a major part of the investigation in relation to Sivasankar's alleged limited role is complete.
"Having regard to the nature of alleged minimal complicity of Sivasankar and stage of the investigation, further detention of Sivasankar in custody, is no longer essential for the successful future investigation of the case," the court said.
However, the court said the offence alleged against Sivasankar is serious in nature that requires intensive probe.
"Sivasankar has sufficient knowledge with regard to the smuggling of foreign currencies prepared with the help of prime accused. Such knowledge and his culpable failure to bring the smuggling into the notice of appropriate authority despite the fact that he was a Senior Civil Servant during the relevant time, shall be viewed seriously," it added.
The dollar smuggling came to light during the investigation of the Kerala gold smuggling case, which is currently being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Customs department.
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, 2020.
