“The law must take its own course”: Shashi Tharoor Reacts to Aide being Detained with 500gms of Gold, Supports Authorities in Investigation

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday reacted to a report claiming his aide was detained at the Delhi airport for allegedly smuggling 500 grams of gold, saying the “law must take its own course.”

“While I am in Dharamshala for campaigning purposes, I was shocked to hear of an incident involving a former member of my staff who has been rendering part-time service to me in terms of airport facilitation assistance. He is a 72-year-old retiree undergoing frequent dialysis and was retained on a part-time basis on compassionate grounds. I do not condone any alleged wrongdoing and fully support the authorities in their efforts to take any necessary action as may be required to investigate the matter. The law must take its own course,” posted Tharoor on a post on “X”.

The Customs Department on Wednesday detained two people at the Delhi International Airport. Tharoor's aide, Shiv Prasad, was caught at the IGI Airport with gold worth ₹35 lakh. During questioning, he could not present satisfactory responses on why he was carrying the precious metal.

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar took a sharp jibe at the Congress, CPM's partnership at the national level, calling them an alliance of "gold smugglers." Chandrasekhar alleged, "First CM Secy involved in Gold smuggling, now Cong MP "aide"/PA detained for Gold smuggling. CPM and Cong - both INDI alliance partners - alliance of gold smugglers."

Shashi Tharoor, a former Union Minister, is currently the sitting MP from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he is contesting against Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.​