Kerala gold smuggling case: Customs' plea seeking permission to interrogate KT Ramees dismissed

Kochi (Kerala) [India], July 27 : A Kochi court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by the Customs department seeking permission to interrogate KT Ramees, an accused in the high-profile Kerala gold smuggling case.
An Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) court in Kochi dismissed the petition, which also sought an extension of the custody of the accused to the departmental by three days.
According to the petition, further interrogation is required to acquire more clarity as to the modus operandi and details of other accomplices behind this smuggling activity.
Ramees was arrested from Vettathur in Malappuram on the morning of July 12.
Meanwhile, former Principal Secretary of Kerala Chief Minister M Sivasankar today arrived at the Kochi office of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the matter, for further interrogation in the case.
According to the investigation, Sivasankar shared close proximity with the key accused in the gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh and Sarith PS. Also, the probe revealed that he also had known Sandeep Nair the fourth accused in the case.
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 customs in Thiruvananthapuram last month.