Queency Jain
The prime accused in Kerala smuggling case, Swapna Suresh, has been arrested in a false sexual harassment case by the Crime Branch giving relief to an Air India employee, LS Sibu.
Suresh was in jail when Crime Branch Police produced her in the court online and the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court ordered her to be in the custody of the crime branch till May 22.
While in 2014, Sibu, a Union Leader working in the Ground services department at Trivandrum airport alleged financial irregularities at the airport, he was being transferred to Hyderabad in 2015 on the basis of complaints of sexual harassment made by the female staffs.
Sibu was also suspended in August last year for having a word with media, soon after that the gold smuggling case came into limelight.
After a long battle with Kerala High Court, Sibu in 2018 was reinstated by Air India in the end of December last year.
The court ordered Crime Branch to not only conduct a detailed probe in the false sexual harassment case against Sibu where 17 female Air India SATS have complained against him, but also to look into 2 more complaints made against him to the high officials of Air India.
It was on the basis of these complaints that he was transferred to Hyderabad.
The investigation of Crime branch unearthed her to be the key accused in the false harassment case against Sibu and it is expected that many masks will fall down soon.
Swapna Suresh was arrested by the NIA from Bengaluru on 5 July last year, for allegedly smuggling gold in a diplomatic baggage destined for the Consulate, while Sibu at present is on leave.
