In a significant development in the Sabarimala gold heist case, the Kollam Vigilance Court has on Friday directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case to hand over all documents related to the case, including the FIR, remand reports and other related records, to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The order came on a petition filed by the ED, which sought access to the case records to examine alleged money-laundering aspects linked to the Sabarimala gold theft. The Central agency told the court that key documents were necessary to trace financial transactions connected to the crime. It dismissed the objections raised by the SIT against sharing the case materials with the ED along with its contention that allowing the Central agency to investigate the matter would amount to a parallel probe.
While the SIT maintained that it had no objection to a money-laundering investigation, it argued that a separate probe by the ED was unnecessary as it could hamper efforts to identify additional accused. The prosecution further contended that sharing records might adversely affect the ongoing investigation. The court, however, rejected these submissions and ruled that all case materials must be provided to the ED for further action.
The Kollam Vigilance Court’s order could pave the way for the intervention of a Central agency, a development that could unnerve the LDF government in the state.
The ED has sought copies of FIRs, First Information Statements, remand reports, statements of the arrested and documents that were seized, arguing that their intervention was prompted by the invocation of Section 467 of the IPC in the gold theft cases, which brings the matter under the ambit of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. It will register a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act( PMLA) and initiate a probe in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft with the Vigilance court on Friday allowing the agency to obtain copies of documents filed by the SIT.
The ED had first moved the application for the documents in the Ranni magistrate court, which rejected it. Following this, the agency approached the High Court, which cancelled the Ranni court order and asked the agency to approach the trial court with the request.The case, meanwhile, was moved to the Kollam Vigilance court.