In a conspiracy case, a Kerala gold smuggler seeks anticipatory bail

Swapna Suresh, a key suspect in the sensational gold smuggling case involving diplomatic bags, and co-accused Sarith P S filed an anticipatory bail application in the case lodged by police on the complaint of a ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) legislator alleging conspiracy behind her revelations against him, the chief minister, and his family on Thursday.

Left MLA and former minister K T Jaleel claimed in his complaint that the latest allegations levelled against him, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and his family by the key accused in the gold smuggling case were the result of a conspiracy.

Swapna Suresh was charged with giving provocation with the intent to cause a riot under Sections 153 (provocation with the intent to cause a riot) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Swapna Suresh and Sarith P S’s joint plea states that only the former is a defendant in the case and that the offences she is accused of are bailable, but she believes that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was out to coerce her into withdrawing her statement made under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Swapna Suresh told reporters on Wednesday that she only told the court about the other people allegedly involved in the smuggling cases and their “degrees of involvement” in her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC.

She stated that she gave the statement because she was facing threats to her life and that if something happened to her or her family, she might not have the courage to speak out about the case. Swapna Suresh also claimed in her plea that a person named Shaji Kiran came to her Palakkad office to settle the issue that arose as a result of her statement.

Shaji Kiran was allegedly introduced to Suresh by the former principal secretary to the Chief Minister, M Sivasankar, in the past as a person close to the CM and other Left leaders, according to the petition.

It also claims that he forced Suresh and Sarith to surrender before the CM and give a statement claiming that what she said in court was at the request of her lawyers, the RSS, and the BJP. He also allegedly threatened them with dire consequences if they did not follow his orders, according to the petition.

Shaji Kiran appeared on a television channel hours after the plea was filed in the High Court, claiming that Swapna Suresh was his friend and that he did not pressurise her to withdraw the 164 statement.

Shaji Kiran claimed that Swapna Suresh summoned him to her office on Wednesday, and that all he asked was why she made the revelations now, and whether she was aware of the problems she would face as a result.

He flatly denied being sent there to settle the matter, claiming that even Swapna Suresh may not be aware that such things were stated in her plea.

Swapna Suresh also argued in her anticipatory bail plea that sharing some information with the media about her Section 164 statement made before a court of law does not qualify as a provocation with the intent to cause a riot, which she is accused of. She has also stated that her 10-year-old son lives alone at her Palakkad residence, and that if she is arrested and taken into custody for questioning, he will be alone.

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