Church in Kerala moves court against Swapna Suresh, Shaj Kiran

Thiruvalla-based Believers Eastern Church on Monday approached a court here seeking action against Swapna Suresh, an accused in the controversial gold smuggling case through diplomatic channel, and her acquaintance Shaj Kiran alleging conspiracy in dragging the church into the recent controversy.

The petition was filed before the Judicial First Class Magistrate court through advocate Shijimol Mather, seeking to take action against Suresh and Kiran, and submitted the audio clip of the telephonic conversation which was released earlier by Suresh mentioning the Church.

The Church, in a release, said its name was deliberately dragged into the recent controversy.

''The Church was deliberately dragged into the recent controversy and the evidence was there in the telephonic conversation released by Suresh. There is an agenda and a conspiracy behind Shaj Kiran's claim that he is a middleman for the Church whereas he is known to the Church as a journalist only,'' the Church said.

It also alleged that those with vested interest were behind the duo and the Church plans to approach the police in this regard.

Meanwhile, Kiran on Monday moved the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a case registered against him and Suresh for allegedly conspiring to cause a riot in the state through her recent revelations.

In his plea, Kiran said he and his friend Ibrai were ''trapped as part of a larger conspiracy by some persons'' and an altered audio clip of friendly conversation was published in order to trap them as part of ''conspiracy'' for political gain.