Thiruvananthapuram: Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the gold smuggling case, has been targetting off and on a few key personnel of the Kerala Government and the CPM over a few dubious deals. The Crime Branch, however, has apparently frozen the case registered against her and two others on charges of hatching a conspiracy against the government.
The case has gone cold even nine months after it was registered. The Crime Branch now claims that the phones of the accused have been sent for forensic examination and that the report has not been received.
The case trails
The case has its origins in Swapna's allegation that Shaj Kiran, a real estate dealer and former journalist, had approached her as an intermediary of the Chief Minister and his family members to persuade her to change her statement. Swapna had implicated the CM and his family in the cases related to the overseas financial deals against her.
Although voice clips of Shaj Kiran claiming that the Chief Minister and the party secretary had stashed away money abroad by using the Believers Church had become public, the Crime Branch mysteriously named him a witness in the case.
Swapna, who revealed that Shaj Kiran had visited her at Palakkad to effect a compromise as directed by M R Ajithkumar, the then Additional Director General of Police (Vigilance), had also released the phone conversations with him.
It is in this conversation that allegations of financial malpractice were made against the Chief Minister and CPM party secretary.
The government made its countermove by filing a police complaint, charging that Swapna, ex-MLA P C George, and Swapna’s friend Sarith had conspired against the Chief Minister and the government.
Swapna had also revealed that Shaj Kiran had approached her after the Vigilance 'kidnapped' her friend Sarith and snatched away his phone. But the government took the stand that the claims were all part of a conspiracy by Swapna and George.
K T Jaleel, MLA, who had made this counter-allegation, had approached the police apparently on behalf of the major leaders targeted by Swapna.
Subsequently, the Crime Branch registered a case, naming Swapna, George, and Sarith as the accused persons.