Along with seizing the gold, which was estimated to be worth Rs 30 lakh, the customs authorities also started an investigation to find out where the gold came from and whether it was genuine.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's personal secretary, Shiv Prasad, has been caught by Delhi Customs in an alleged gold smuggling case, as per sources.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) May 29, 2024
There is no official statement from Delhi Customs so far…: @bhavatoshsingh shares more details with Siddhartha Talya pic.twitter.com/Dkt2rs1bfI
According to the reports, customs officers questioned Kumar, who had flown in from Dubai to Delhi Airport, about where the gold came from and why he was bringing it to India. But he was unable to offer adequate explanations or convincing answers, nor could he produce the required documents.
The matter is currently being probed further.
Shashi Tharoor is a senior Congress leader and a former Union Minister. He is currently the sitting MP from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency.
Interestingly, in 2020, allegations surfaced that Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had links with the prime suspect in the Kerala gold smuggling case. He had then denied the allegations that the individual facing an investigation in connection with gold smuggling had gotten a job at the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram on his recommendation. The Consulate was first swept into the grip of the gold scandal when Swapna Suresh was made the second accused in the smuggling case.
Back then, Shashi Tharoor had sent a legal notice to a Malayalam News Channel called Kairali TV for broadcasting news about his alleged association with a prime suspect in the Kerala Gold Smuggling case.
After the news of the arrest of his PA was shared widely, the Congress minister took to X to claim that the man was a former member of his staff who had been retained as a part-time employee on ‘compassionate grounds’ because he had been undergoing frequent dialysis. The senior Congress leader also said that he does not approve of any alleged wrongdoing and stated that he supports the authorities’ investigation into the matter.
While I am in Dharamshala for campaigning purposes, I was shocked to hear of an incident involving a former member of my staff who has been rendering part-time service to me in terms of airport facilitation assistance. He is a 72 year old retiree undergoing frequent dialysis and…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 30, 2024
“While I am in Dharamshala for campaigning purposes, I was shocked to hear of an incident involving a former member of my staff who has been rendering part-time service to me in terms of airport facilitation assistance. He is a 72-year-old retiree undergoing frequent dialysis and was retained on a part-time basis on compassionate grounds. I do not condone any alleged wrongdoing and fully support the authorities in their efforts to take any necessary action as may be required to investigate the matter. The law must take its own course.”
