Kerala gold smuggling: SC asks Centre whether it can scan diplomatic package

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought to know whether the Centre is entitled to scan and search those cargo that have diplomatic immunity.

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A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Satish Chandra Sharma made these oral remarks while hearing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) plea seeking to transfer the trial in the case outside Kerala.

The top court sought to know what was the procedure for scanning such diplomatic packages. The court also asked whether the government could scan these diplomatic packages. ED counsels submitted that he will take instructions in this regard and get back to court. The matter thereafter adjourned.

Enforcement Directorate had filed a plea seeking to transfer of trial in the case pending before the Special Court for PMLA Cases, Ernakulam to a Special Court for hearing PMLA cases in the State of Karnataka.

Kerala Government has opposed the Enforcement Directorate's plea seeking to transfer the gold smuggling case to Karnataka and said that the probe agency's plea was to tarnish the Government of Kerala by raising baseless allegations.