Team News Riveting
Malayalee’s love for gold is no secret but a minister in Kerala government seems to have an unparalleled antipathy for the precious metal.
Kerala is known as Gods’ Own Country but in fact it is Gold’s Own Country too. The spices from the shores of Kerala were so valuable that the Europeans had no qualms exchanging it for Gold.
Thus, for the Keralites, Gold became a metal of prestige and pride. This propels them to own at least a piece of Gold.
But Kerala’s Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel is an exception. For, he allegedly asserted that he neither had any gold ornament nor any vehicle.
Under the lens for his alleged role in gold smuggling, Jaleel reportedly told the enforcement directorate (ED) that he could not think of gold smuggling as he does not have sovereign gold and vehicles of his own.
Jaleel was quizzed for three hours today for his alleged involvement in gold smuggling. The minister, who was first elected as legislator in 2006, told the investigating agency that he owns only 19 cents of land, has financial liabilities and has an investment of just Rs 3 lakh in the treasury.
However, the probe team has not taken this statement to be true. ED believes that Jaleel has carried out benami transactions and many of his statements were false and contradictory.
He said that only official phone calls were made with accused Swapna Suresh that contested the call records.
The statement of the minister had come under the scanner as he had been trying to misguide. While a CCTV installed in a nearby shop captured his movement a day before, Jaleel categorically denied that he was summoned by the ED for interrogation.
While the ruling CPI-M has decided to rally behind the blue-eyed boy of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the opposition parties are baying for his blood.
