Kochi: After a round of questioning of model Shravya Sudhakar by the CBI, the Customs Department probing the Nedumbassery smuggling case is also set to take her statement based on her acquaintance with suspected smuggler T.K. Faiz.
This follows the CBI revelations about Faiz’s links with the stars in films and fashion industries and the model’s public confession of knowing Faiz.
“We don’t know if the model is involved in the racket. Knowing the smuggler does not mean that she is involved in the smuggling operations.
There were several actors who knew Faiz. But based on the probe conducted by the CBI, we would summon her,” said Jayachandran, Customs investigating officer.
Although the CBI feels that Shravya was not involved in smuggling operations, the information about Shravya meeting the Customs officers, including C. Madhavan and Anil Kumar, at Nedumbassery airport on behalf of Faiz would be enough for the sleuths to establish the attempt by the smuggler to use her for smuggling activities.
Shravya had also confessed about meeting the Customs officers and gifting them two LCD television sets sponsored by Faiz.
The CBI sleuths had earlier revealed that the link between Shravya and the smugglers would actually help the Customs in the case more than the CBI.
The bureau probe is only against the Customs officials who allegedly helped the culprits in smuggling gold to India.
"Our aim is to find if the model or the actors were introduced to the Customs officers by Faiz. If they had smuggled gold, it is up to the Customs Department to take necessary action,” said K. Krishna Kumar, superintendent of CBI, Kochi.
