Thiruvananthapuram: Former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister M Shivashankar has returned to the service. Shivashankar reached the secretariat and received the order to withdraw the suspension. A decision on the new post will be made soon. Shivshankar was suspended in 2020 on charges of gold smuggling.
The first suspension expires on July 15, 2021. Earlier, the suspension was extended to six months citing new reasons. Suspended for one year on July 16, 2020, following a government-appointed panel found that the interference in the appointment of Swapna Suresh, a gold smuggling accused, was a violation of civil service rules. The second was suspended on the grounds that the defendant had been added to the criminal case.
English Summary: M Sivasankar returned to service
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