The Customs team probing the diplomatic gold smuggling case arrested suspended IAS officer and former principal secretary to the Kerala chief minister, M. Sivasankar on Tuesday.
The Ernakulam district court gave the nod for his arrest on Monday after the agency submitted sufficient evidence to prove Sivasankar's role in the case. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing a money laundering case linked to the gold smuggling racket had conveyed to the court that the IAS officer could even be the mastermind of the gold smuggling operation.
Sivasankar was taken into ED custody on October 29 and remains at Ernakulam district prison at Kakkanad. Custom officials reached there to formally record the arrest.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has sought the response of ED officials on the bail plea moved by Sivasankar in the money laundering case linked to the gold smuggling racket.
In his petition, Sivasankar alleges that the agency produced just selected WhatsApp messages before the court to mislead it and implicate him in the case.
