Police bid to stall money laundering case probe: ED

It seeks to quash Crime Branch FIR against officials

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday submitted before the Kerala High Court that the police were fabricating evidence against ED officers to stall investigation in the money laundering case, which is at a crucial stage with names of some ‘highly placed persons’ being unearthed. The submission was made when a petition filed by P. Radhakrishnan, Deputy Director, ED, seeking to quash an FIR registered by the Crime Branch against some unnamed ED officials for allegedly forcing Swapna Suresh, prime accused in the diplomatic gold smuggling and the money laundering cases, to give false statements against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was taken up for hearing. The registration of the FIR against ED officials was “a blatant counter-blast” to the investigation being conducted by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Counsel for the ED sought to stop the investigation by the Crime Branch as the affidavit of the Crime Branch had made it clear that it was going ahead with the investigation and fabricating evidence against it.