Customs: 'Resourceful' people facilitated Swapna Suresh's escape

KOCHI: Yet again pointing out the strong influence that Swapna Suresh, an accused in the gold smuggling case, enjoyed in the state, Customs on Friday opposed her bail plea claiming that she carried a lot of clout within the state bureaucracy.


Special prosecutor for Customs advocate K Ramkumar submitted that the respondent (Swapna) getting free access at all check-posts despite her disclosing her identity, shows the influence she commanded in the corridors of power and among law enforcement agencies in the state.

He also talked about a meeting involving the respondent that happened at an apartment around 1am to indicate her influence and involvement in the case.

Meanwhile, NIA in a report to remand the mastermind in the operation, KT Ramees and seven others, pointed out the necessity to ‘ interrogate consulate officials and high-profile individuals’ to unearth real kingpins and all conspirators in the case.

In the Customs case, responding to the defence’s claim that she was innocent, Ramkumar asked, “Why did she then flee with the co-accused?” “They first went to a water-front resort in Varkala. After being spotted by a local body member there, they came to Kochi. They stayed in Kochi before fleeing to Bangalore. She knew that she could easily go to Bangalore which means that she had clout among resourceful persons and they facilitated her escape,” Customs submitted.

Customs also said Soumya, wife of Sandeep, another accused, has given concrete evidence regarding the involvement of Swapna.

“She says that she made an inquiry about a particular consignment. When it was found to be gold, she in writing requested to send it back. She asked to send it back only because of the situation and that itself is an indication that she had sufficient knowledge about it,” Customs said. Defence countered this argument stating she only drafted the letter at the instance of her employer at the Consulate. Customs also pointed out the influence of Swpana at the consulate to submit that she should be considered a flight risk due to her connections abroad.

Defence, meanwhile, also submitted that when she went to Bengaluru, she was not an accused in the cases of NIA or Customs. “Customs implicated her only on July 10,” counsel for Swapna, advocate Geo Paul told the court.

He added that Swapna went to Varkala on July 6 and returned to Kochi to meet her lawyer. He added that there were no restrictions to go to Karnataka or Tamil Nadu at the time. “We need legal evidence which is absent in the case,” Paul argued.

Court posted the case for pronouncing the order on the bail plea to August 12.