Text Size:A- A+
Kochi: In August 2013, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) laid siege to the Kerala Secretariat, demanding the resignation of then Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy over the solar scam.
Chandy had been under the scanner as three staff members in his office allegedly had links to the main accused in the scam, Saritha Nair and her husband Biju Radhakrishnan, who allegedly duped investors to park money in a solar company by flaunting their proximity to the chief ministers office (CMO).
The unrelenting opposition led by Pinarayi Vijayan, then the state secretary of the CPI(M), protested at the secretariat for nearly 30 hours, finally calling off the siege after Chandy promised a judicial probe in the case.
The scam eventually scorched the Chandy government, in part because the LDF managed to keep the controversy alive right until assembly elections in 2016, with Nair even making sexual harassment allegations against Chandy.
Now, some seven years on, the boot is on the other foot, with the only saving grace for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan being that his office hasnt been wholly sucked into the scandal that is roiling Keralas political landscape these days.
The communist government in Kerala, basking in the plaudits it has received for its handling of the Covid-19 crisis, is now in a spot over the gold scam.
The scam hit headlines on 5 July when customs officials at the Thiruvananthapuram airport intercepted diplomatic cargo, meant for the UAE consulate office, and found 30 kg of gold worth Rs 13.5 crore that was allegedly being smuggled.
We are deeply grateful to our readers & viewers for their time, trust and subscriptions.
Quality journalism is expensive and needs readers to pay for it. Your support will define our work and ThePrints future.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
The consignment was classified as diplomatic baggage but investigating agencies quickly discovered that it was part of a smuggling racket.
The controversy then inched closer to the Chief Ministers Office as prime accused Swapna Suresh allegedly had links with M. Sivasankar, the IAS officer who was the CMs principal secretary and well as the state IT secretary. The chief minister holds the IT portfolio as well.
Sivasankar has since been relieved of both posts.
For keen watchers of the states politics, there are similarities in both cases.
For a state still to shed all vestiges of patriarchy, the principal focus in the gold scam has been on the woman accused just like in the solar case. The echoes also extend to the links to the CMO in both cases. And while the solar scam singed the UDF government, the gold scam threatens to derail the current Communist dispensation.
But while the solar scam is a cheating case, the gold scam has metamorphosed into a probe into alleged terror funding.
Also read:Why Kerala is planning to allow its famed plantations to grow exotic fruits
The solar scam that originally broke in 2013 involved alleged fraud by a company, Team Solar Energy, in the sale of solar panels. Saritha and her husband Biju Radhakrishnan were the main promoters of the firm.
The scam was run by duping investors into parking money with the solar company either for installing solar panels or in cases of larger investments, with the promise of being made partners. It became apparent that Saritha had flaunted her proximity with three staff members of the then CM Oommen Chandys office to clinch deals.
The size of the scam was put at Rs 10 crore, and the LDF managed to keep alive the controversy for the next two years orchestrating the famous Secretariat siege.
Biju Radhakrishnan, Saritha Nair and three accomplices state government employee A. Firoz, actress Shalini Menon and Tenny Joppan, one of CMs personal aides were arrested.
A trial court in Coimbatore sentenced Saritha Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan to three years imprisonment on 31 October, 2019. Other accused have since faded into obscurity.
Former CM Oommen Chandy has always maintained his innocence. It took him a while to come to terms with the political price he had to pay on account of wild accusations, hitherto unproven.
In 2018, the Kerala High Court expunged all remarks and findings by the Justice G. Sivarajan Commission that probed the multi-crore solar panel scam based on a letter reportedly written by Nair alleging sexual harassment against the former chief minister. It, however, refused to quash the commissions report altogether as sought by Chandy.
The gold scam has all the similar makings.
First and foremost is the link to the CMO.
Key accused Swapna Suresh reportedly worked on a space project under the IT department of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL), and it was alleged that protocol was not followed in her appointment.
She allegedly landed the job at the behest of Sivasankar, the IAS officer removed as the CMs principal secretary and as the IT secretary.
Media reports now claim that she was also in touch with Kerala Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel in June and had ties with Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan. The minister insists that the calls were strictly professional.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has since taken over the probe, has submitted before the NIA court that 30 kg gold smuggled in through diplomatic channels was not for jewellery makers but for those engaged in anti-national activities.
While producing Swapna Suresh and co-accused Sandeep Nair before the NIA court, the probe team also submitted that they had used forged documents of the UAE Consulate, including seal and emblem, to facilitate movement of the contraband consignment through diplomatic channels. Swapna and Sandeep have been remanded in NIA custody for a week.
Meanwhile, in the original gold smuggling probe conducted by the customs department, with help from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the additional chief judicial magistrate court (economic offences wing) has remanded in judicial custody K.T. Rameez, a repeat offender and alleged gun-runner from Malappuram until 27 July.
He is suspected to be the supplier of smuggled gold once it gets through customs clearance, and also the financier. The diplomatic route has so far proved good for smuggling well over 100 kg gold in less than a year, it is suspected.
Rameez has used his connections in high places to walk free after being apprehended in the past for smuggling gold, illegal hunting of animals and bringing in dismantled parts of 13 guns from abroad. The list of suspects in the diplomatic channel gold smuggling case include, apart from Swapna and Sandeep, former PRO of UAE Consulate Sarith Kumar, Fareed Faisal in the UAE and Rameez. Now, three other associates of Rameez have been arrested by customs officers who say this racket has so far smuggled gold worth Rs 40 crore.
Until now, the banana peel moment for the LDF government was when CM Pinarayi Vijayan decided to go hammer and tongs to uphold the Supreme Court verdict of 28 September 2018, allowing women aged between 10 and 50 years to enter the Sabarimala shrine.
The frenzy that unfolded during the pilgrim season that followed made it clear it was more about politics and less about ensuring religious freedom, notwithstanding the public posturing. The lukewarm interest shown by the Kerala government to keep enforcing the apex court order during the 2020 season, just before the pandemic broke, reiterates this point.
The gold scam, however, could put Vijayan in a far bigger pickle.
For one, the probe is now with the NIA, which is under the central government.
There is a belief in the state that Home Minister Amit Shah may be planning to turn the NIA probe into an electoral surge for the state BJP.
The reason: Allowing the probe to progress beyond a point could dent the prospects of the LDF in the assembly elections slated for April-May 2021.
This, however, would not entirely serve the interests of the BJP and its aim of Congress-mukt Bharat as the net gains would accrue to the Congress-led UDF.
It is the assumption of political observers now that the NIA probe would be allowed to go all the way if Congress leaders too turn up in the list of those who facilitated the gold smuggling racket in other words, a terror funding angle in the gold smuggling racket that can showcase the involvement of leaders from both the LDF and the UDF.
This alone could tip the electoral fortunes in favour of the BJP in a state where its local leaders have struggled to complete the last mile and turn a second finish into a winning seat.
But thats easier said than done.
The opposition has not made a concerted effort to take advantage of the alleged involvement of the CMO in the scam.
Their efforts are no patch on the CPM-led fronts strategy that involved systematically leveraging the solar scam for political gains.
The LDF was more organised in its attack. There were quite a few exclusive exposes handed over to newspapers and TV channels, and there were not too many dull days in short, it was well orchestrated.
Against this, the attack mounted by the present Opposition is limited to press conferences, which obviously does not have quite the same popular appeal as the explosive leaks of yore.
That could change if M. Sivasankar, until early this month the chief ministers principal secretary and the state IT secretary, gets named as an accused. Things have gone from bad to worse as Sivasankar was questioned for nine long hours Tuesday night by customs officers who then confiscated his mobile phone. He may be called for further questioning, even by the NIA.
It could also change if the call records of Swapna begin revealing more names of those who were in her loop, like it did in the Saritha saga.
That could be one way of keeping this scam alive politically, but then there is no guarantee that names would be limited to those belonging to the ruling party alone. Of course, there are whispers regarding the likelihood of bureaucrats and top police officers figuring in her list.
For now, Pinarayi Vijayan is putting up a brave face, saying he welcomes any probe into the possible involvement of his office, and that all guilty should be punished.
But the latest scam has all the makings of another potboiler, complete with the deadly cocktail of gold, terror, international connections, subverting officers in high places and the shadow of doubt over elected leaders.
Also read:How Keralas tough Covid rules have made 17% of its population invisible, hurting economy
Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram
News media is in a crisis & only you can fix it
You are reading this because you value good, intelligent and objective journalism. We thank you for your time and your trust.
You also know that the news media is facing an unprecedented crisis. It is likely that you are also hearing of the brutal layoffs and pay-cuts hitting the industry. There are many reasons why the medias economics is broken. But a big one is that good people are not yet paying enough for good journalism.
We have a newsroom filled with talented young reporters. We also have the countrys most robust editing and fact-checking team, finest news photographers and video professionals. We are building Indias most ambitious and energetic news platform. And we arent even three yet.
At ThePrint, we invest in quality journalists. We pay them fairly and on time even in this difficult period. As you may have noticed, we do not flinch from spending whatever it takes to make sure our reporters reach where the story is. Our stellar coronavirus coverage is a good example. You can check some of it here.
This comes with a sizable cost. For us to continue bringing quality journalism, we need readers like you to pay for it. Because the advertising market is broken too.
If you think we deserve your support, do join us in this endeavour to strengthen fair, free, courageous, and questioning journalism, please click on the link below. Your support will define our journalism, and ThePrints future. It will take just a few seconds of your time.
Support Our Journalism
Go here to see the original:
Tale of 2 Kerala scams solar scandal that singed UDF govt and gold that has LDF in a spot - ThePrint
- The Principality of Sealand - Become a Lord, Lady, Baron or ... - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- SeaLand Toilets - Motorhome, RV & Marine - PPL Motor Homes - December 23rd, 2016 [December 23rd, 2016]
- Schedules - SeaLand - December 28th, 2016 [December 28th, 2016]
- Sealand man jailed for high speed police chase near Chester - LeaderLive - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- sealand | eBay - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Floatplane fuselage donated for entrance feature - Campbell River Mirror - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Burglar in 'lunatic' Flintshire police chase jailed - Daily Post North Wales - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Did you get married in this Sealand church? - Daily Post North Wales - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Global Camping Toilet Market 2017 By Manufacturers Zodi, Camco, SeaLand, Thetford Marine - NetDugout - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Sealand Natural Resources, Inc. (OTCMKTS:SLNR) Files An 8-K Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities - Market Exclusive - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Sealand - The Principality of Sealand - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Sealand of the Pacific - Wikipedia - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Gardening club launch at Sealand and Queensferry Dementia Caf - Deeside.com - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Sealand - The Principality of Sealand - thoughtco.com - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Malawi govt over paid farm input suppliers by K61billion - Nyasa Times - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- About Sealand - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- How Are Analysts Interpreting Sealand Natural Resources Inc (SLNR)'s Relative Strength? - Nelson Research - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- Inquiry date for Chester flood plain homes plan - ChesterChronicle.co.uk - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- sealand toilet | eBay - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Unusual Activity Spotted in Sealand Natural Resources Inc (SLNR) - BVN - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Sealand Natural Resources Inc (SLNR) Moving -40.00% in Session - BVN - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- Pivot Points in Focus: Sealand Natural Resources Inc (SLNR) - Nelson Research - June 21st, 2017 [June 21st, 2017]
- Independence Day 2017 SeaLand & Port Schedule - American Journal of Transportation - June 27th, 2017 [June 27th, 2017]
- Flooding on Chester's Sealand Road after downpour - ChesterChronicle.co.uk - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]
- Chester floodplain housing scheme unanimously rejected - ChesterChronicle.co.uk - August 6th, 2017 [August 6th, 2017]
- 150 years of the Shipping Forecast: The magic and poetry of Dogger, Fisher and German Bight - Country Life - August 25th, 2017 [August 25th, 2017]
- Sealand - Wikitravel - August 25th, 2017 [August 25th, 2017]
- About Us - Principality of Sealand - August 25th, 2017 [August 25th, 2017]
- About - Principality of Sealand - February 6th, 2018 [February 6th, 2018]
- Principality of Sealand - Wikipedia - June 5th, 2018 [June 5th, 2018]
- Sealand | MicroWiki | FANDOM powered by Wikia - July 29th, 2018 [July 29th, 2018]
- Sealand The Mystery Solved - Part One - YouTube - August 30th, 2018 [August 30th, 2018]
- Sealand Marine Toilet Parts | West Marine - September 16th, 2018 [September 16th, 2018]
- Search for a route - sealand.com - September 16th, 2018 [September 16th, 2018]
- About Sealand - Become a Lord, Lady, Baron or Baroness - October 16th, 2018 [October 16th, 2018]
- SeaLand is now Dometic | Dometic - Mobile living made easy. - November 24th, 2018 [November 24th, 2018]
- Sealand | Dynamic Ship Simulator III Wiki - dss-iii.wikia.com - December 5th, 2018 [December 5th, 2018]
- Sealand | Fifth World Wiki | FANDOM powered by Wikia - December 5th, 2018 [December 5th, 2018]
- Vacuflush Parts and Systems for marine and RV toilets. - January 11th, 2019 [January 11th, 2019]
- Sealand | West Marine - January 11th, 2019 [January 11th, 2019]
- Sealand | Hetalia Archives | FANDOM powered by Wikia - January 11th, 2019 [January 11th, 2019]
- About Sealand | The Principality Of Sealand - January 11th, 2019 [January 11th, 2019]
- Sealand Marine - 4 Locations Across Nebraska and South ... - May 14th, 2019 [May 14th, 2019]
- Surfer cleans his playground by turning pollution into functional fashion - East Coast Radio - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Hefty bill for Sealand farmer who ignored warnings to clear waste off his land - LeaderLive - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- IN PICTURES: Terry is first person to complete nine-mile swim from Sealand to Dovercourt - Harwich and Manningtree Standard - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Great Escapes: The Pristine Shores and Year-Round Charm of Denmarks North Sealand - Barron's - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Terra Firma Imagines a Tiny Country Surviving the Rising Waters - TheaterMania.com - October 14th, 2019 [October 14th, 2019]
- Appeal launched over refusal of plans to store cars and caravans on green barrier land in Sealand - LeaderLive - October 14th, 2019 [October 14th, 2019]
- Queues on Sealand Road in Chester due to water works - Cheshire Live - October 14th, 2019 [October 14th, 2019]
- Coleg Cambria volunteers clean-up streets and rivers of Deeside for community event - Deeside.com - October 16th, 2019 [October 16th, 2019]
- Review: In Terra Firma, a Wee Wet Country on the Brink - The New York Times - October 16th, 2019 [October 16th, 2019]
- Appeal launched over refusal of plans to store cars and caravans on green barrier land in Sealand - Deeside.com - October 16th, 2019 [October 16th, 2019]
- Global Smart Container Market Set to Reach $5.74 Billion by 2024 - Asia-Pacific Expected to Grow at the Highest CAGR - PRNewswire - December 18th, 2019 [December 18th, 2019]
- Panerai Celebrates the Year of the Rat With Sparsello-Decorated Luminor Sealand - HYPEBEAST - December 18th, 2019 [December 18th, 2019]
- Former football star and Telegraph photographer Gary Talbot dies at 82 - Lancashire Telegraph - December 27th, 2019 [December 27th, 2019]
- SeaWorld Prisoner Kyuquot the Orca Needs Our Help! - The Union Journal - December 27th, 2019 [December 27th, 2019]
- Somaliland in the Guide to the 'almost countries' of The World - MENAFN.COM - December 27th, 2019 [December 27th, 2019]
- All the shops and businesses Chester said goodbye to in 2019 - Cheshire Live - January 2nd, 2020 [January 2nd, 2020]
- Easter eggs are already on sale in Plymouth - Plymouth Live - January 2nd, 2020 [January 2nd, 2020]
- This is what was happening in Chester as the 1990s dawned - Cheshire Live - January 2nd, 2020 [January 2nd, 2020]
- Chinese New Year Gifting 2020: From Gucci to Faberg, Rats & Mice Galore | Jewellery | Watches & Jewellery - Luxury London - January 14th, 2020 [January 14th, 2020]
- Sealand Community Council to decide three new positions by co-option | The Leader - LeaderLive - January 30th, 2020 [January 30th, 2020]
- Roadworks in and around Flintshire over the next few days - Deeside.com - February 24th, 2020 [February 24th, 2020]
- Photographer from Deeside on 'cloud nine' with accolade - LeaderLive - February 24th, 2020 [February 24th, 2020]
- China firms in $10 billion share sale rush as funding rules eased amid virus worries - Reuters - February 24th, 2020 [February 24th, 2020]
- Sealand reduces transit time between Chile and the US for table grapes - FreshPlaza.com - February 24th, 2020 [February 24th, 2020]
- The 72 businesses with a five star food hygiene rating in Flintshire - Daily Post - March 16th, 2020 [March 16th, 2020]
- More than three weeks of overnight closures on Cheshire roads to start - Cheshire Live - March 22nd, 2020 [March 22nd, 2020]
- Flintshire man who went to see son play in band in Chester caught drink-driving on way home - The Chester Standard - March 22nd, 2020 [March 22nd, 2020]
- Heres Why Sealand Capital Galaxy (LON:SCGL) Must Use Its Cash Wisely - Simply Wall St - March 22nd, 2020 [March 22nd, 2020]
- Man charged with alleged offence under new Covid 19 legislation following incident in Deeside on Thursday - Deeside.com - April 9th, 2020 [April 9th, 2020]
- SeaWorld trainer torn limb from limb by killer whale turned 'psychotic' by captivity - Mirror Online - April 26th, 2020 [April 26th, 2020]
- Revamped Aldi Chester store to open its doors next week - The Chester Standard - May 11th, 2020 [May 11th, 2020]
- Weekly Update: Global Coronavirus Impact and Implications on Fresh and Naturally Fermented Birch Juice Market Analysis, Trends, Forecast, 2019-2025 -... - June 1st, 2020 [June 1st, 2020]
- Residents urged to take care after house fire in Sealand - LeaderLive - June 1st, 2020 [June 1st, 2020]
- Someone has used a chainsaw to cut down a tree in Garden City which blocked Welsh Road - Deeside.com - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Covid-19 Impact on Global Coriolis Mass Flowmeters Market (2020-2026) | Potential growth, attractive valuation make it is a long-term investment | Top... - June 25th, 2020 [June 25th, 2020]
- Sales in the Birch Water Market Expected to Grow as Demand from End-Use Industries Gathers Pace 2017 2025 - Jewish Life News - July 10th, 2020 [July 10th, 2020]
- Breaking down the top 10 LB recruits in Vanderbilt history - 247Sports - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]