Kerala CM must resign after NIA's revelation of Kerala gold smuggling case accused links with Dawood Ibrahim: V Muraleedharan

In the wake of NIA's submission that it has suspicion that Kerala gold smuggling case accused have links to Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company, Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Thursday said that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan must resign in the wake of this revelation.

"@NIA_India revealed about Dawood Ibrahim's connections with the accused in #KeralaGoldScam. It is a grave matter & substantiates the #UAPA charges levelled against the accused & their links to terror groups. I am sure that the NIA & @HMOIndia will take appropriate action," Muraleedharan tweeted.

"@NIA_India's revelations expose the patronage given to smugglers & anti-national elements in @CMOKerala & how @VijayanPinarayi has been sheltering criminals. CMO has become a safe-haven for such elements. Kerala CM must resign!" he added.

Kerala CM Vijayan on being asked if Kerala gold smuggling case has links with Dawood Ibrahim's D-company said, "NIA has come here to carry out an investigation in the case to find out if any such links exist. Let them continue their probe."

A special NIA court on Thursday granted bail to 10 accused in the Kerala Gold Smuggling Case and the court rejected the bail pleas of three accused in the case.

The court rejected bail pleas of Muhammad Shafi, Muhammad Ali and Sharafuddhin KT.

It granted bail to - Said Alavi E, Abdu PT, Mohamed Anwar TM, Hamjad Ali, Jifsal CV, Aboobacker, Muhammed Abdu Shameem, Abdul Hameed PM, Mushafa and Abdul Azeez.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has submitted in the special NIA Court at Kochi in the Kerala Gold Smuggling Case that it suspects that the accused have links to Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company.

This was submitted as the response to the bail petitions of the seven accused in the case.

NIA said, "accused Ramees KT and Sharafudheen had travelled to Tanza and visited shops in the African country where guns are sold. In Tanza, Rameez attempted to procure a licence for the diamond business. He later smuggled gold to the UAE," the NIA prosecutor said.

"From the UAE, he brought gold to Kerala. Tanza and Dubai are the main places where the D-company is active. In fact, D-company's affairs in Tanza are handled by a South Indian named Firoz Oasis. We suspect Rameez's links with D-company. Rameez was caught by the Customs in November 2019 for smuggling 13 .22 mm bore rifles. This happened when the gold smuggling was taking place."

NIA informed the court that they had also retrieved a photo of the accused Sharafudheen holding a rifle in Tanza.

The matter had come to light after 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crores smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage was busted by the Customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5.

( With inputs from ANI )