ED calls Raveendran to its office on December 10
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The CPI(M) felt that the ED had timed Mr. Raveendran’s arrival at its office with the native physique election.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned C.M. Raveendran, further non-public secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, to seem at its office in Kochi on December 10.
The date has reportedly raised eyebrows within the Communist Party of India (Marxist). By one account, the CPI(M) felt that the ED had timed Mr. Raveendran’s arrival at its office with the native physique election. It is felt that the potential tv optics of Mr. Raveendran’s arrival on the ED office would affect voters setting out to polling cubicles.
The election shall be held in three phases on December 8, 10 and 14.
However, CPI(M) appearing State secretary A. (*10*) instructed reporters in Kollam {that a} mere summons was no proof of guilt.
The ED reportedly needed to query Mr. Raveendran in reference to its ongoing investigation into the cash laundering side of the gold smuggling case. The company was additionally probing the suspected “kickbacks in the various infrastructure contracts” being applied by the State authorities.
Mr. Raveendran’s questioning brings ED ominously shut to the Chief Minister’s Office. In a court docket submitting, the ED had deposed that M. Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to Mr. Vijayan, and his “team in the CMO” have been “fully aware” of the unlawful gold import through the “diplomatic channel” of the UAE consulate. There have been unconfirmed studies that the company searched sure non-public companies allegedly owned by Mr. Raveendran’s nominees.
The company reportedly seen Mr. Raveendran, a political appointee with lengthy innings of service in numerous LDF governments, as a consummate CMO insider and prime mover behind a number of infrastructure initiatives supposedly beneath its “radar”.
Mr. Raveendran had twice pleaded incapacity to seem earlier than investigators. He was tormented by COVID-19 and later laid low by residual well being points. He had taken a discharge from hospital just lately.
The CPI(M) was reportedly not averse to Mr. Raveendran submitting himself for questioning. It was additionally purportedly of the opinion that any additional procrastination on the a part of Mr. Raveendran was not advisable politically and legally.
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