Kochi
M Sivasankar, the former principal secretary and IT secretary, was let off by NIA investigators for the day after nine hours of grilling. He has been asked to report back at the NIA office, Kochi on Tuesday for further interrogations. After completion of the day’s questioning, the senior bureaucrat, considered as the conscience keeper of CM Pinarayi Vijayan when he was in office, drove straight to a leading lawyer of the city, but apparently changed his plan due to the large presence of media, with a number of cars following him.
With Monday’s grilling lasting 9 hours, Sivasankar has been interrogated for 14 hours already in two sessions. The continuing questioning, which will resume on Tuesday, suggests the premier investigating agency, probing the terrorist angle in the sensational case of gold smuggling through the diplomatic channels, probably means the bureaucrat has to provide satisfactory answers to many more questions.
Sivasankar’s probe was being watched with anxiety in the ruling circles and keen interest in the opposition camps as any further action, which can include his arrest, would put the Vijayan government on the defensive.
It is believed if he is arrested, it could lead to further links in the CMO, which would make the government’s position more vulnerable. The probe is progressing even as the central leadership of the party pledged full support to Vijayan and remarked the opposition Congress and BJP are making a joint bid to destabilise the government.
