M Sivasankar sacked, Mir Mohammed new OSD to Kerala CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior IAS officer M Sivasankar was removed from chief minister's personal staff. Sivasankar had been the officer on special duty to CM Pinarayi Vijayan since he assumed office in May, 2016.
Young bureaucrat Mir Mohammed Ali is the new OSD to CM. He currently the executive director of Suchitwa Mission and director of environment department.
Sivasankar is currently the IT secretary also and it is learnt that he may be stripped off that portfolio too.His exit happened a day after opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and BJP state President K Surendran alleged close links between him and Swapna Suresh, the absconding accused in the gold smuggling through diplomatic channel case. It was alleged that Sivasankar was responsible for recruiting Swapna Suresh to a plum post under IT department. As controversy erupted, IT department terminated her contract on Monday.
Swapna had earlier worked with the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. The customs department accused her of orchestrating the smuggling of 30 kg gold via diplomatic cargo that reached Trivandrum international airport on Sunday. Sarith, another former employee of the consulate, was arrested by the customs in the case on Monday. Customs raided Swapna's house on Monday but couldn't trace her.