“My inability to sense Swapna’s connection with gold smugglers was a personal failure”- M Shivashankar IAS
It is the first time in the history; a Senior IAS officer like Shivashankar is in the hot seat before NIA. Mr Shivashankar says to the NIA that his inability to sense Swapna’s connection with the gold smugglers was a personal failure. Mr Shivashankar’s interrogation will continue at Kochi. The interrogation was based on the phone records and documents seized from the homes of the accused.
M Shivashankar, former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister has reiterated his statement given to the customs in front of the NIA. He told that he has friendship with Swapna Suresh and Sarith. He doesn’t know who Sandeep Nair is. Swapna Suresh’s second husband is my relative – said Shivashankar.
In connection with the gold smuggling case, former IT Secretary M Shivashakar IAS yesterday presented before the investigation team and co operated with NIA for a five hour interrogation. News from the reliable sources is that Shivashankar denied the connection with the alleged gold smuggling case. He says he was not aware of the smuggling. He would kept Swapna away is he had got any warning.
He also confessed that he was unaware of Swapna’s educational qualification. It is alleged that Swapna had produced a fake degree certificate to obtain employment in IT department. Mr Shivashankar is also alleged to have a hand in Swapna’s appointment at Space Park, Under the Kerala Governemnt It Department when he was serving as IT Secretary
The NIA questions Mr Shivashankar after inspecting his statements given to the Customs Department. NIA yesterday send a letter to the Chief Secretary seeking the CCTV footages in the Secretariat from May 1st onwards. It was on 7th July the Customs unearthed the gold smuggling case by seizing gold worth rupees more than 15 crores, at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
