Swapna challenges CM, daughter to file defamation suit

AFTER lying low for several months, Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the infamous gold smuggling case, surfaced again on Thursday, challenging Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter Veena Vijayan to file a defamation case against her.

Swapna Suresh and her counsel appeared before a lower court at Taliparamba in Kannur District and got bail in a defamation suit filed by CPI (M) state secretary, MV Govindan.

Soon after securing bail, her counsel said they wished that both CM Vijayan and his daughter would show the guts that Govindan showed.

"We challenge both Vijayan and his daughter to file a defamation case against the revelation that she has made. We wish both of them would show the guts that Govindan did," said Suresh's counsel.

Govindan filed a defamation case against Suresh after she publicly stated that a person named Vijesh Pillai met her in Bengaluru last year and threatened her.

She alleged that Vijesh Pillai had told her that Govindan had threatened to eliminate her if she did not withdraw the allegations levelled against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family.

Swapna Suresh claimed that Vijesh Pillai told her that Govindan wanted her to accept ₹30 crore and had offered all help to her if she moved to Malaysia.

Govindan had taken her on legally and sought ₹ 1 crore as damages in the defamation suit.

"I stand by all that I said then," asserted Suresh on Thursday, while her counsel said they were challenging Govindan to file a civil case. Suresh was in the news in the 2020 gold smuggling case.

Her arrest had led to the arrest of a senior IAS officer and CM Vijayan's Principal secretary, M Sivasankar.

Suresh had then alleged that Vijayan was engaged in the smuggling of currencies and gold and challenged the CM and his daughter to file a defamation case against her.