Thiruvananthapuram: The National Investigation Agency, which is probing the gold smuggling case, is all set to question Kerala Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel.
Jaleel, who was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate recently in connection with the alleged FCRA violation in getting consignments of Holy Quran through diplomatic channel, has been in the middle of a storm with the opposition Congress and the BJP staging state-wide protests demanding his resignation.
Widening the scope of investigation into the Kerala gold smuggling case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at the premises of a jewellery maker in Coimbatore.
A five-member NIA team raided the house cum jewellery making unit owned by J Nandagopal, who had allegedly acted as a middleman in the case.
The NIA has cited the jewellery maker as an accused after investigations revealed that he had bought the smuggled gold and converted them into finished jewellery.
After questioning him, he was taken to Kerala for further investigations. The prime accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh was admitted to a medical college hospital in Thrissur after she complained of uneasiness and chest pain recently.