On February 18, Swapna Suresh, one of the major suspects in the Kerala gold smuggling case, joined the High Range Development Society (HRDS) India, an NGO. Suresh was offered the position of Director, Women Empowerment and CSR at the NGO’s Thodupuzha office, with a monthly remuneration of Rs 43,000.

According to sources, she started working at HRDS India’s office in Thodupuzha’s Skill Training Centre on February 12 after receiving an offer letter. Swapna Suresh’s appointment has sparked a political firestorm, with claims that she was appointed due to her supposed RSS and BJP ties. The RSS or the BJP have also been accused of supporting the NGO. Suresh acknowledged on Sunday that she was harassed and that her new employment was surrounded by unneeded controversy.

She explained that now to obtain the post of Director, Women Empowerment and CSR in the NGO, she had to complete all of the prescribed procedures and that it was a fairly routine job with a salary of just Rs 43,000. She explained that she took the job to care for her children and elderly mother.

“Allow me to live.” Allow me to care for my mum while raising my children. Please don’t bother me by stirring up pointless debates. “Please leave me alone because I have no intention of harming or injuring anyone,” she said.

Meanwhile, the HRDS stated that she was qualified for the role since she has good communication skills and a large network of contacts. The HRDS further stated that there was no damage in choosing Suresh as the organization’s Director even though she had not yet been convicted in the gold smuggling case.

This comes after the Kerala State Commission for SC/STs filed a complaint against the NGO, saying that they built unfit houses for Adivasis in Attappadi and elsewhere. Suresh said that she has been subjected to repeated attempts to intentionally harass her and asked the public to refrain from putting a political spin on her employment.

The BJP disputes the charges, claiming that the NGO has no ties to their party.

K Surendran, the state president of the BJP, has also disputed that the NGO is associated with the RSS or the BJP, claiming that the private enterprise is run by a former SFI leader. “The NGO has no ties to the BJP,” Surendran was reported as saying.

In his memoirs, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Principal Secretary M Sivasankar, who is also an accused, had already proclaimed Suresh guilty in the case and accused her of deception in February 2021. Swapna Suresh then slammed the top bureaucrat, revealing that Sivasankar was aware of the diplomatic bags and that she did everything on Sivasankar’s orders while on the run from the cops.

Sivasnakar wanted to settle down with her in Dubai after taking voluntary retirement, she said. Sivasankar also allegedly engineered the NIA’s involvement in the gold smuggling case to keep Swapna silent, according to her. Suresh accused him of manipulating, exploiting, and wrecking her life, claiming that Sivasankar’s book told his side of the story.

According to reports, HRDS India is an NGO that strives to improve the lives of tribal people in the state. Construction of prefabricated dwellings for Adivasis is one of the organization’s operations. Its president is Guru Atma Nambi, and its secretary is Aji Krishnan. CSR payments from corporations and overseas donations are the organization’s primary sources of funding. The NGO also engages in farming operations including medicinal plant production in Adivasi-populated areas through its three skill training centers in Thodupuzha, Coimbatore, and Kannur.