India News | Pinarayi Vijayan's Additional Private Secretary Raveendran Tests COVID Positive

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], November 6 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's Additional Private Secretary CM Raveendran, who was summoned by Enforcement Directorate (ED), in connection with gold smuggling probe to the Kochi office has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

As he tested COVID positive he would not be appearing before ED tomorrow.

Also Read | Triveniganj Vidhan Sabha Seat in Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: Candidates, MLA, Schedule And Result Date.

A close confidant of Vijayan, Raveendran was summoned by ED after recording the statements of Swapna Suresh and M Sivasankar, former principal secretary of Kerala CM in connection with gold smuggling case.

Under ED scanner are also the alleged irregularities relating to various projects of the IT Department, that the ED found during the course of the investigation. Sivasankar was also serving as the IT Secretary before he was removed from the post after the gold smuggling case.

Also Read | Pipra Supaul Vidhan Sabha Seat in Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: Candidates, MLA, Schedule And Result Date.

It is learned that the ED based on digital records retrieved from the phones of gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh and Sivasankar had summoned Raveendran to seek clarification on certain deals inked by Kerala IT Department, which ED believes kickback was paid by the respective private players engaged by Government for the project.

The Enforcement Directorate had issued a notice to him to appear at the Kochi office on Friday. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)