Gold smuggling case: Kerala Minister Jaleel appears before NIA team

Kochi, Sep 17: Kerala Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel on Thursday appeared before the NIA team probing the sensational Kerala gold smuggling case.

Visuals aired by TV news channels showed the Minister, who is facing the Enforcement Directorate probe into alleged FCPA violation in accepting consignments of Holy Quran brought from UAE through diplomatic channel, arriving at the NIA office here at 6 am in a private car.

There was no official word either from the NIA or from the Minister's office about the development. Last week, Jaleel had appeared before the ED here and his statement was recorded.

The minister had earlier admitted that a consignment containing Holy Quran had been received from the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram which a top Customs official had referred to as "prima facie violation of FCRA" (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act).

After the media reported about his interrogation by the ED, the minister had later posted on Facebook: "Truth will prevail. Only the truth. Even if the whole world opposes it, nothing else will happen." Officials had said Jaleel is under the scanner of the central agencies after he publicly claimed that the consignments brought to Thiruvananthapuram during Ramzan month contained Holy Quran for distribution in his constituency.