Kochi (Kerala): Kerala Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel was interrogated by the Customs Department at its office in Kochi for around six and a half hours on Monday in a case of bringing Quran copies through the UAE Consulate.
Jaleel arrived at the Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive) office at around 11.45 am and the interrogation ended at around 6.30 pm.
Taking to social media, Jaleel said that probe agencies shouldn't 'waste time tightening the noose'.
"Even if a thousand agencies search for tens of thousands of years, they will not be able to bring any evidence against me in the gold smuggling, any financial fraud, corruption or acquiring illegal property, or bribery of ten paise," he said.
Further quoting "Satyameva Jayate," he said the assurance is the ever-present strength of an ordinary public figure.
"If anyone tries to tighten the noose around my neck, nothing else will happen except that those who are trying to will twist or break the rope. It is not arrogance or challenge, it is courage from the conviction that I have not done anything wrong," said Jaleel.
Customs earlier stated in the court, "Around 250 packages containing 31 copies of Quran in each was imported by the consulate. The consulate had handed over 32 packets containing copies of the Quran to Jaleel which was distributed at various parts of Kerala in connection with Ramzan observance. The distribution of Quran copies as imported duty-free by the Consulate."
Later, Customs filed a separate case in the bringing of Quran Copies through the UAE Consulate. Customs also found that there was a difference between the weights of the consignment to the weight recorded formally.
After this, the gunman of the minister was interrogated by the Customs last week.
Earlier, the NIA and the ED interrogated him in the allied matters of the Kerala gold smuggling case.
(ANI)
Also read: Kerala minister Jaleel appears before Customs investigators
