Overview

• The Supreme Court has issued notices to four accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, requiring responses within six weeks.
• The Enforcement Directorate filed the plea in 2022, arguing that a fair trial is not possible in Kerala due to alleged ties between the accused and top state officials.
• The case involves the 2020 seizure of ₹15 crore worth of gold from UAE Consulate diplomatic baggage at Thiruvananthapuram airport.
• A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal will hear the plea in July after the court’s summer recess.
• The court is also examining whether diplomatic baggage in India is subject to scanning or enjoys immunity from search.