The decision of the CPI(M)-led Kerala Government to cancel the suspension of M Shivsankar, former principal secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and reinstate him in service has drawn the ire of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.
Shivsankar, an IAS officer, was suspended from service following his interrogation by the Customs and Enforcement Directorate in connection with the gold smuggling through diplomatic channel in Thiruvananthapuram International Airport allegedly with the connivance of the United Arab Emirates’ Consulate General. He was arrested and was imprisoned for about 100 days. The Kerala Government placed him under suspension on 2020 July 16.
Ramesh Chennithala, former Leader of Opposition lambasted the decision of the Kerala Government to revoke the order suspending Shivsankar and reinstate him in Government Service as a big fraud played on the people of the State by the CPI(M). “This is a ploy by the Chief Minister and Shivsankar to derail the investigation into the gold smuggling scam in which the name of Pinarayi Vijayan had figured many times. The main accused in the case had hinted the involvement of Pinarayi Vijayan in the case,” said Chennithala.
The senior Congress leaders said in a release on Wednesday that the investigation agencies probing the gold scam have not given any clean chit to Shivsankar. “Now Vijayanand the CPI(M) are likely to bring back Swapna Suresh, another accused in the case back to the Government Service,” said Chennithala.
The decision of the Kerala Government to reinstate Shivsankar follows the silence of the probe agencies to the queries by the state administration about the progress in the investigation and also the role of Shivsankar in the case. A committee of Government Secretaries headed by Chief Secretary had asked the Government last week to withdraw the suspension order of Shivsankar as the investigating agencies did not reply to the enquiries sent by them about the role of the former principal secretary in the scam.