Gold Smuggling Racket: Kerala’s Top Bureaucrat M Sivasankar Suspended For Violating IAS Rules

By: Nandika Chand | Last Updated July 17, 2020

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan supended top bureaucrat M Sivasankar from service. The Principal Secretary has been alleged of having links with the accused persons in the gold smuggling racket.

The CM, in a press conference, said Sivasankar has violated All India Service rules. “There will be a departmental enquiry. He is suspended as part of this probe. The Committee has found that there have been actions from him which are not allowable as part of the All India Service rules,” Vijayan said.

The Principal Secretary to the Kerala CM came into the limelight after questions were raised over why and how the main accused in the gold smuggling case. Reports highlight that one of the main accused persons Swapna Suresh was working with the Kerala government’s Space Park through agency. The Kerala government lodged an enquiry to determine whether Sivasankar had given preferential treatment to Swapna after doubts were raised over her educational qualifications.

The probe led to some leaked call records that revealed that calls were made from PS Sarith’s (main accused in the gold smuggling case) phone to Sivasankar a number of times over the past few weeks. Four phone calls were made by Sarith to the Principal Secretary from April to June; 10 calls were for less than 30 seconds.

Arun Balachandran, the Kerala CM’s IT Fellow has also been sacked for booking an apartment for Swapna Suresh. He claimed he had booked the flat upon the instructions of Sivasankar.

Investigations are continuing.