Thiruvananthapuram: Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the gold smuggling case in Kerala, was on Monday granted bail by a Kochi court in a case registered by the Customs as the agency did not file a charge sheet within the stipulated period of 60 days.
She will however continue to remain behind bars as the case and its alleged terror link is also probed by the National Investigation Agency. Swapna is also an accused in a case registered by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the money trail of the illegal trade.
Earlier, the National Investigation Agency court and Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Economic Offences, had dismissed her bail pleas in separate cases registered by NIA and Customs Commissionerate (Preventive).
Meanwhile, the Aluva court has recorded the confessional statement of the fourth accused Sandeep Nair after he pleaded for the same in NIA court.
The smuggling came to the fore when Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore, which was found camouflaged in diplomatic baggage from the United Arab Emirates on 5 July.