ON JULY 4, a diplomatic consignment from Dubai arrived at the Trivandrum International Airport. It was addressed to Rashed Khamis Ali Musaiqri Alshemeili, charge d’affaires at the UAE consulate in Kerala. The “diplomatic bag”, which weighed around 50kg, contained dates, oats, butter cookies and noodles, as per the consulate’s order. However, it also had something that was not ordered, at least officially-30kg of gold.
The customs department, which had been tipped off about gold being smuggled in a “diplomatic bag”, was waiting for the recipient. Eventually, Sarith Kumar, a former public relations officer at the consulate, came to collect the bag. He was immediately arrested and remanded to custody by customs officers. It was reportedly the first time that such a case—in which diplomatic exceptions were used for smuggling—had been registered in India.
A diplomatic bag is used for carrying official correspondence or other items between a diplomatic mission and its home government or diplomatic, consular and other official entities. It has certain legal protections. A customs official told THE WEEK that, as per the Customs Act and Diplomatic Relations (Vienna Convention) Act, two types of objects are exempt from inspection: Articles for office use and the personal baggage of a diplomatic agent. “We had to seek permission from higher authorities to check the consignment as it was brought in as personal baggage,” he said.
Upon interrogation, Sarith Kumar revealed that Swapna Suresh, his former colleague at the UAE consulate, was at the centre of the smuggling ring and that this was not the first consignment that had reached Kerala this way. Suresh, a contract employee with the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL), under the IT department, was immediately sacked.
Suresh’s career has been a story of spectacular growth. She was born and raised in the UAE and apparently started her career as a front-office manager of a dance bar in Dubai. After getting married, she lived in Thiruvananthapuram for a while, but separated from her husband after her daughter was born, and went back to Dubai.
She returned to Kerala in 2017, soon after the UAE started its consulate there, and was appointed executive secretary. Her knowledge of Arabic and her pleasing manners were well noted at the consulate, which is where she met Sarith, the prime accused in the case. She used to organise all major events at the consulate and invited several political leaders to these, slowly making her way into the power circles of the state capital. She was apparently close to leaders of both the ruling and opposition fronts.
The story took a dramatic twist when Suresh’s close ties to M. Sivasankar, principal secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, came to light. Apparently, Sivasankar was a frequent visitor at her apartment, and it was after first meeting Sivasankar at the consulate that Suresh quit the job and joined the IT department on contract. She organised events and hobnobbed with leaders there, too.
Apparently, protocol was not followed in her appointment to KSITIL; at the time, the crime branch was investigating her for allegedly framing an employee of Air India’s ground handling crew in a sexual harassment case. Suresh is now absconding.
Also in the cross hairs is Sivasankar, who was also the IT secretary, one of the most powerful bureaucrats in the state; he always had Vijayan’s ear. In fact, Sivasankar’s had been one of the first appointments by the current Left Democratic Front government. “He was a surprise choice for many in the party because of his Congress connections,” said a CPI(M) leader. “But the chief minister went ahead as he was apparently impressed by the fact that Sivasankar was a good taskmaster.”
The day after the gold was seized, Sivasankar was removed from both posts. However, the controversy kept snowballing. Both the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the BJP are baying for Vijayan’s blood. “The chief minister cannot wash his hands [of the case] by removing the IT secretary. Sivasankar was removed because the chief minister feared the investigation would reach him,” said opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala. Demanding Vijayan’s resignation, he added, “The influence of the smuggling cartel in the chief minister’s office and the nexus between politicians, government officials and the smugglers point to a grave situation.”
The BJP has also trained its guns at Vijayan. The party’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra tweeted a photo collage featuring Vijayan and Suresh, captioning it “gold”. In the state, the BJP leadership has announced a series of protests demanding Vijayan’s resignation.
The chief minister, however, looks least perturbed by the developments. “The state government has nothing to hide or fear as it has got nothing to do with the case,” he said. “Sivasankar was removed from all the posts the very day the allegations came up. If he has done something wrong, he will have to pay the price for it. The left government will not try to save any culprit.”
He added that he welcomed any sort of investigation by Central agencies. “In fact, we would like the Central government to investigate the case thoroughly so that all the links in this case are exposed,” he said.
His cool demeanour notwithstanding, it is clear that the controversy has tarnished the state government’s image. “Kerala is a very sensitive state, politically. Even a minor tremor could cause large repercussions,” said senior journalist Jacob George. “The controversy has come at a time when the left government has earned a good image nationally and internationally for its effective handling of the Covid-19 situation. A small drop of kerosene is enough to destroy a well-cooked payasam.”
George also said that the incident had given a fresh lease of life to the UDF, which was struggling to find its feet. And if there is anyone who should be especially happy about the controversy, it is former chief minister Oommen Chandy. Many have already drawn parallels between the current case and what happened to the previous UDF government towards the end of its term. There, too, was a woman—Saritha Nair—whose links with the chief minister’s office had hurt the government. In fact, it could be argued that the ‘solar panel scam’ effectively demolished the UDF’s chances of re-election. The Left Democratic Front had, at the time, gone hammer and tongs to sully Chandy’s image. The solar case is still under investigation. “I am a believer. I have no complaints,” said Chandy. “Many are praying for me.... The truth will prevail.”
Meanwhile, amid complaints about lapses on its part, the UAE consulate in India has issued a statement condemning the attempted use of diplomatic channels for smuggling, and has promised full cooperation with customs authorities. “Smuggling has happened many times,” said a customs official. “The fact that they (consulate) never checked the weight marked on the cover of the parcel is surprising. Also, how can they send someone who is no longer part of the consulate to collect a diplomatic bag?”
The authorities in the UAE have also launched an internal investigation to find out who sent the cargo containing gold to the consulate in Kerala.