ED set to question another Pinarayi aide over money laundering

Thiruvananthapuram: The sole chief minister's office in the country currently under the glare of a clutch of investigating agencies could be that of the head of the Kerala Government. In the wake of the gold smuggling case, sleuths of the National Investigation Agency and the Enforcement Directorate had arrived at the seat of the state government. The latter is now all set to question Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's additional private secretary C M Raveendran. 

The Enforcement Directorate has served a notice to Raveendran directing him to appear at its Kochi office at 10 am on Thursday.

The notice was served as gold smuggling case prime accused Swapna Suresh's relation with Ravindran surfaced.

Raveendran's name figures at many places in the written statements given by Sivasankar as reply to ED's questions. The ED has got more than one statement as evidence which indicates that Sivasankar would not take any decision without the knowledge of Raveendran.

Sivasankar's custody may prolong

Meanwhile, Sivasankar's custody with the ED ends on Thursday. However, the ED will approach the principal sessions court at Ernakulam to seek extension of his custody citing that Sivasankar had not cooperated with their questioning on the first three days.

If he is sent to ED custody again then the officials might question him along with Raveendran.

Raveendran has been in the personal staff of Balakrishnan in 2006-11, when he was the Home Minister in V.S. Achuthanandan and later when Achuthanandan became the Leader of Opposition (2011-16) again he was present and when Vijayan took over as Chief Minister in 2016, Ravindran willed major power.