A former staffer of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been detained by Delhi Customs in a gold smuggling case at Indira Gandhi International airport.
Shiv Kumar Prasad, who claimed to be Tharoor's aide, was held along with another individual on Wednesday night. Tharoor, who is contesting 2024 Lok Sabha Elections from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, said he supports the authorities' investigation and condemns any alleged wrongdoing.
In a statement on social media, Tharoor said: "While I am in Dharamshala for campaigning purposes, I was shocked to hear of an incident involving a former member of my staff who has been rendering part-time service to me in terms of airport facilitation assistance."
"He is a 72 year old retiree undergoing frequent dialysis and was retained on a part-time basis on compassionate grounds. I do not condone any alleged wrongdoing and fully support the authorities in their efforts to take any necessary action as may be required to investigate the matter. The law must take its own course," he added.
According to a statement by Varun Koundinya, Joint Commissioner of Customs, an Indian national who arrived at the IGI airport from Bangkok by flight TG-323 on May 29 was booked in a case of smuggling of gold on the “basis of suspicion.”
The statement added, “Further investigations revealed involvement of another individual, who had come to the airport to receive the passenger and also assist in smuggling. The said individual was intercepted and a heavy gold chain weighing 500 gram was recovered from him which was handed over to him by the passenger inside the arrival hall. Enquiry revealed that the individual had a valid Aerodrome Entry Permit. The circumstances of acquisition of Aerodrome Entry Permit by the receiver, as a part of the protocol team for a member of parliament, are being looked into.”
