It has been reported in the media that the Enforcement Directorate in its chargecheet has alleged that the actress had facilitated Guruvayoor temple darshan for the IRS man. Additional Customs Commissioner Sachin Savanth was arrested by ED’s Special Investigation Team, in Lucknow on June 27, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002. Earlier he was the Deputy Director in Mumbai Zone-2.
After the arrest, Savanth was produced before the Special Court. He revealed his close association with Navya during the interrogation. Consequently, Mumbai ED served notice and summoned Navya to Mumbai. She was interrogated thoroughly. It has been included in the charge sheet. Statements of his other girl friends are recorded too. The details of the gifts he gave to Navya and his visits to meet her are recorded too. There are reports of Savanth’s statement regarding around ten visits he made to Kochi to see Navya. She is reported to have given her version during the interrogation.
Now, ED is investigating the details of the gifts and the jewellery Savanth had presented to Navya Nair. ED’s next endeavour is to ascertain the route of the money and if the gifts are the part of the ‘tainted income’. The investigators, while carrying out the probe into the money laundering angle, examined Sachin Savanth’s mobile data and chats. They were collected hence they got the hints of the rapport he had with Navya Nair. She has reported to have admitted that Savanth had gifted her costly jewellery.
According to the charge sheet, Navya’s statement says, Sachin was a friend hence accepted his gifts. Their friendship was started when they were neighbours in Mumbai. She admitted that she had facilitated darshan for Savanth in Guruvayoor temple; nothing much in between. He had given birthday gifts to her child; she (Navya) had not received anything from her. She has given these information to the ED. Her revelation had come out when the controversy spilled into media.
Rapport between film personalities and tainted characters is nothing new. Since the last several years some Malayalam actors are also seen embrioled in such controversies. When the infamous Solar Scandal shook the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) regime, presided by CM (late) Oommen Chandy, the involvement of a film actress could not be ruled out. It was a controversial issue during 2014 – 2016. And, UDF could not return to the power when the assembly elections took place in 2016, thanks to the powerful propaganda by the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) against the UDF in the wake of the Solar scandal.
Malayalam film lovers are very much upset in this regard. Because, Navya has been their matinee idol since her debut in early 2000s. For them, she was a girl next door. After more than two decades, Malayalees still cherish her role as a Krishna devotee in the hit movie “Nandanam”.
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