The customs department is planning to move the Kerala high court against the state jail department’s decision not to allow its officials along with visitors who want to meet the prime accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case– Swapna Suresh.
Lodged in a women’s prison in the state capital under Cofeposa (Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act), recently, the customs had issued a directive to the jail that it should be informed about anyone visiting her and a customs official will accompany the visitor.
But the jail department had refused and sent back a customs official last week who accompanied her relatives to the jail. State jail chief Rishiraj Singh said such a move will set a new precedent and demoralise jail officials. But customs officials fear that it is an attempt to weaken the high-profile case.
“We have already informed the Cofeposa board about this. We will move the High Court next week. She had already complained that she was facing serious threats and some people met her in the jail and forced her to change her statement,” said a senior official who did not want to be named.
Citing the circular as a reason, the prison officers denied entry of customs officials when Swapna’s relatives came to the prison to visit her the other day. The circular stated that the presence of investigating officials is not mandatory according to the state’s rules of COFEPOSA and normal prison laws are applicable for COFEPOSA prisoners also.
Customs officials said that the move is to sabotage the investigation and will move HC against it. They said conspiracies can happen during the visitors’ meeting with the accused within the prisons; hence they should be monitored by the probing agency.
