Gold smuggling case: Swapna Suresh released from jail
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 6: Sixteen months after her arrest in the sensational gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh, one of the prime accused in the racket, walked out of jail here on Saturday after securing bail on November 2.
Suresh, who completed the necessary bail procedure, left for her residence with her mother, days after the Kerala High Court granted bail to her and seven others in a UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) case lodged by the NIA in connection with the smuggling of gold through diplomatic channels. The court, while allowing her bail, had held that prima facie it did not find that the accused committed any terrorist act as alleged against them.
Suresh was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with another accused Sandeep Nair from Bengaluru on July 11, 2020, also a Saturday.
Today, Suresh refused to talk to the media initially, but said she will respond later following which the television channels followed her to her residence in the city.
However, her mother told the waiting media there her daughter was not feeling well as she just got released from the jail, and will not be talking to them today.
Earlier, after completing the official bail proceedings, Suresh left the "Vanitha" jail at Attakulangara here, where she had been lodged.
The court had granted bail to Suresh, a former employee of the UAE consulate here, subject to furnishing a bond of Rs 25 lakh with two solvent sureties each for the like amount.
The NIA, ED and Customs conducted separate investigations into the racket that was busted with the seizure of gold worth Rs 15 crore from the diplomatic baggage of the UAE Consulate at Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5, 2020.
Several people, including M Sivasankar, the former Principal Secretary to the Kerala Chief Minister and another ex-employee of the UAE Consulate here, Sarith P S, were arrested in connection with the case.
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4 children test HIV positive in MP govt hospital; contaminated blood transfusion suspected
Satna/Bhopal (PTI): Four children suffering from thalassemia have tested HIV positive at Satna District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions, officials said on Tuesday.
The case is four months old and an investigation is underway into it, an official said.
Officials suspect the use of contaminated needles or blood transfusions for the spread of infection to the children.
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MP Health Minister Rajendra Shukla told reporters in Bhopal that he has ordered a probe into the matter and sought a report.
“It is also being investigated whether the blood transfusion took place in other hospitals also or only in the government hospital,” he said.
The affected children, aged between 12 and 15 years, received blood transfusions from the hospital's blood bank, as per an official.
Devendra Patel, in-charge of the blood bank at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital in Satna, said four children have tested HIV positive and an investigation is underway to determine how they got infected.
"Either an infected needle was used or a blood transfusion occurred. These are the two main reasons I believe. Blood transfusion seems to be the most likely cause," he told PTI Videos.
All these children suffer from thalassemia, and some have received 80 or 100 blood transfusions, he said.
A family member of one of the affected children said that their child was found to be HIV positive during a routine checkup about four months back, and he has been receiving medication, but it had proven to be of no use.
After taking the medication for HIV, the child starts vomiting, feels low and becomes ill, he said.
After the four children were detected with HIV infection, their family members were also tested and the results came out negative, he added.
The Opposition Congress targeted the government over the matter and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Shukla.
Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Congress MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav claimed such incidents were continuously occurring in Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, a case of toxic cough syrup came to light in Chhindwara, followed by incidents of rat bites at hospitals in Indore and Satna, and now children have been given HIV-infected blood, he said.
"The health minister is unable to manage the department. He should resign. A murder case should be filed against those responsible for the Satna incident," Yadav said.
Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma termed it a failure of the government. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's government has no connection with ground realities, he charged.
"Somewhere rats are roaming in hospitals, somewhere children are being given HIV-infected blood. Instead of preventing HIV, you are spreading it. Mohan Yadav should wake up from his slumber. Children are the nation's heritage and should be taken care of," he added.
