Kochi: Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court, on Thursday, turned down the pleas filed by the Crime Branch and Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) seeking copies of Swapna Suresh’s confidential statement given under IPC Section 164 and her testimony, in the black money case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Principal Sessions Court Judge Honey M Varghese accepted the Defence argument that the ED investigating officer only has the legal right to obtain a copy of the statement given under Section 164 and the testimony, as the case has been registered by the ED, and turned down the pleas from Crime Branch and the VACB. The copies of these statements were handed over to the ED investigating officer.
The recent allegations made by Swapna, the key accused in the controversial case of gold smuggling through the diplomatic baggage, have prompted vehement protests by the Opposition.
The Crime Branch had sought a copy of her confidential statement for further investigation on the conspiracy case registered by them alleging that Swapna is deceiving the public by making fake allegations and giving a statement under Section 164 in Court. The VACB wanted to procure a copy of her statement for further probe in the Vadakkanchery Life Mission case.
Prosecution flays Defence
The Defence counsel is conspiring and turning Swapna’s statement under Section 164 into a weapon to mislead the investigation, the Prosecution lawyer argued in court. They themselves leak the information in the confidential statement. The Prosecution further alleged that those accused of anti-national crimes are creating precedence by weakening the judicial system.
Responding to this argument, the Counsel of Defence said, the prosecution is accusing even the Court stating that the confidential statements given in Court have been leaked.
The Prosecution lawyer clarified that he does not think the information in the statement leaked from the Court.
