Kerala CM's aide faces interrogation in gold case

Kerala Chief Minister's additional private secretary, CM Raveendran reached the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office at Kochi in connection with the gold smuggling case.

Kochi (Kerala):CM Raveendran, additional private secretary of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, reached Enforcement Directorate (ED) office for interrogation in money laundering case in connection with Kerala gold smuggling case.

Kerala High Court to pronounce its order on Raveendran's plea seeking relaxations in the interrogation, today.

Raveendran on Tuesday approached the Kerala High Court seeking a stay on the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate to him in the PMLA case in connection with the Kerala Gold Smuggling case.

He had approached the court after the ED summoned him to its Kochi office on December 17.

The petition, which he had submitted before the High Court stated that "the petitioner has not fully recovered from his illness and that he reasonably apprehends that he would be detained by ED for long hours which he would not be able to endure."

Apart from the stay, he also sought the court to issue an order or a direction to the ED to permit the petitioner to have the presence of a legal practitioner of his choice during his appearance.

He also sought to issue an appropriate writ, order, or direction to ED to restrain from detaining the petitioner at the ED beyond a reasonable time deemed fit by this court, the petition sought.

"The petitioner also apprehends that he would be coerced and compelled to make statements which are untrue and against his will," it said.

This is the fourth time ED has summoned Raveendran in the case. He didn't appear for the last three times citing his hospitalisation. The ED issued two summons each in November and this month.

(ANI)