Kerala gold smuggling case: Magistrate records statement of UAE consulate gunman

Statement of the gunman at the UAE Consulate Jay Gosh, who allegedly attempted suicide, was recorded by a magistrate on Saturday. He was reported missing by his family since Thursday night but was found from near his home at Thumba on Friday morning allegedly with a slashed wrist, resulting in bleeding.

Thiruvananthapuram: The statement of the Kerala Police personnel who was serving as a gunman at the UAE Consulate here and allegedly tried to end his life, was recorded on Saturday by a magistrate at a private hospital
here.

Jay Gosh, who was reported missing by his family since Thursday night, was found from near his home at Thumba on Friday morning allegedly with a slashed wrist, resulting in bleeding.

"The magistrate came to the hospital and recorded his statement. The police are yet to question him. As of now, his condition is stable," a senior police official told.

He was found lying near his ancestral home and had been admitted to a private hospital here.

During a search by the police on Friday morning, the man was found near a vacant plot a few metres away from his home.

The policeman had reportedly told his family that he was facing threats from some people and was seen tensed.

The incident comes amid the sensational gold smuggling case in which the precious metal was brought into the country in diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE Consulate.

Ghosh, who was earlier posted at the airport here, has been with the consulate since 2017 and had reportedly
contacted at least three times the key accused in the smuggling case Swapna Suresh on July 5, when the gold was
seized by Customs.

The gold worth around Rs 15 crore was received at the airport here as a diplomatic cargo addressed to an official in the Consulate of the United Arab Emirates and the Customs have said they suspected a syndicate misused the diplomatic immunity to smuggle the precious metal.

Meanwhile, the investigation team has brought Swapna Suresh and another accused Sandeep Nair from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram and has been conducting searches at various places in the city including the flats and offices of the duo.

The case is being investigated by Customs and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which has booked Suresh,
Sarith, Sandeep Nair and Fasil Fareed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Suresh was found working in the IT department and her contractual service terminated after her name cropped up in the gold smuggling.

IAS officer M Sivasakar was removed as Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the state IT
Secretary over his alleged links with Suresh and other accused in the case.

He was suspended on Thursday.

Fareed is still at large while the other accused, including Suresh and Sarith, both former employees of the UAE
consulate, have been arrested.

(PTI REPORT)