Thiruvananthapuram, April 10(BPNS)

Customs officials on Friday questioned the Kerala assembly Speaker ,P Sreeramakrishnan at his official residence. The sleuths, according to reliable sources questioned him for more than five hours in his official residence.

The office of the Speaker confirmed that Customs officials have sought some information from Sreeramakrishnan. The main accused in the gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh and PS Sarith had in a written statement informed that the Speaker was involved in dollar smuggling.

Both the accused had deposed before the Customs that the Speaker had handed them a bag which they had passed on to the UAE consul official. Swapna and Sarith had in a written testimony confirmed that the bag was stacked with US dollars and the name “SRK” which is the short form of Sreeramakrishnan was inscribed in the bag.

Swapna had in her deposition stated that Speaker had told her to keep this bag as a memoir of him. There has been social media reports that Sreeramakrishnan had attempted suicide in his residence after heated arguments with his wife owing to the case as well as the Speaker’s relationship with Swapna.

Sreeramakrishnan has in a facebook live put at rest all the stories on his suicide attempt and said ,” I have come to know that there are reports coming out in certain social media outfits that I had attempted suicide. It is to be noted that I am not such a coward to seek solace in suicide and I will never do that. People with distorted mind sets are spreading such false rumours and I don’t care on that.”

It is to be noted that the state government and the Central agencies are in collision course with the state Crime branch trying to interrogate Enforcement Directorate officials. The ED had moved Kerala high court  for a stay against the Crime branch interrogation.

The Crime branch had in its deposition before the High court mentioned that the deposition of Swapna and Sandeep Nair had startling facts against ED officials.