Gold smuggling: Kerala HC stays probe against ED

Kochi, August 11

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday stayed the order issued by the state government appointing a commission of inquiry (CoI) to look into any alleged attempt by the ED to implicate CM Pinarayi Vijayan in the sensational gold smuggling case, saying a parallel inquiry would “derail the investigation” in the matter.

The Left government’s May 7 notification appointing the CoI was stayed by Justice PB Suresh Kumar on a plea by the ED, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, which had contended that the state was “incompetent” to order such an inquiry as the subject matter fell in Central list of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution.

The HC said in such matters if parallel inquiries are carried out, it would “impede and derail the investigation” in the case and that in turn would benefit the accused. The SG had also told the HC that since the subject matter of the inquiry relates to probe of offences by agencies authorised to conduct such investigation, “there cannot be any inquiry into the same by any authority other than the court”. — PTI