Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the gold smuggling case, has approached the Kerala High Court for bail in the FIR registered against her by the National Investigation Agency for smuggling gold via diplomatic channels and for illegal smuggling of large quantities of gold from foreign countries.
Swapna Suresh was taken into custody by the National investigation Agency after Customs Officials at the Trivandrum International Airport seized 30 kg of gold camouflaged in diplomatic baggage, subsequent to which she as charged under Sections 16, 17, 18 & 20 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.
The appellant, in her bail application, has submitted that there is no sufficient material evidence in the charge sheet against her that could connect her with the alleged gold smuggling. The further submitted that she has already been subjected to detailed interrogation on several occasions under the National Investigation Agency and the recovery of materials was already complete.
It is to be noted that the appellant has already moved to the NIA Special Court twice seeking regular bail, however, both bails were dismissed. Under the case registered against her under PMLA and Customs Act, the appellant was granted bail by the concerned Courts, and was subsequently granted bail in the foreign currency smuggling case.
She has prayed to be granted bail from the High Court on the grounds that she has been granted bail by other courts in the same alleged gold smuggling and also mentioned the instance of bails granted to other accused on the notion of their limited role in the crime.
She further added that the chargesheet has failed to show her involvement of any transactional force in the matter and alleged that the denial of the bail to her by the lower Court was "vitiated by patent illegalities and irregularities resulting in gross miscarriage of justice."
Swapna Suresh was arrested by the National Investigation Agency on July 11th, 2020 and was produced before the Special Court for NIA cases on July 12th, 2020, where she was remanded to custody.
