Kerala Congress workers protesting outside the office of National Investigation Agency(NIA) in Kochi, demanding State Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel’s resignation have been detained by police on Thursday. Jaleel reached the Kochi office of the NIA for questioning over his connection with UAE consulate and gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh.
He was also interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate earlier for the same. After Suresh’s arrest in July he denied having any links with the accused and claimed that, he had contacted her based on the direction of the Consul General of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. He is also being probed for the violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, as he allegedly accepted foreign aid without consulting the Centre.
Ever since the the gold smuggling case became a controversy involving the ruling CPI(M) government the opposition has been protesting and demanding the resgination of the ministers involved.
