Shashi Tharoor reacts to report of aide caught 'smuggling' gold at Delhi airport

Shashi Tharoor said the man is a former member of his staff.

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday morning reacted to a report claiming his aide was apprehended at the Delhi airport smuggling 500 grams of gold, saying the law must take its own course.

Shashi Tharoor said the man is a former member of his staff. He said he was employed part-time with him to provide "airport facilitation assistance".The Congress MP further said the 72-year-old was employed with him on compassionate grounds because he had been undergoing frequent dialysis. He, however, clarified that he doesn't "condone any alleged wrongdoing".

"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," he wrote on X.The customs department on Wednesday detained two people at the Delhi international airport.

One of the detainees, reported ANI, identified himself as Shiv Kumar Prasad.

Per the new agency, the man claimed he is the personal assistant to Shashi Tharoor.Prasad had come to the airport to receive another person arriving from Dubai. The duo was apprehended when the latter attempted to hand over the gold to the MP's aide.

The agency reported citing sources that Prasad had the permit to enter the aerodrome, which allowed him entry into the airport. He allegedly entered the airport premises and received the packet. They allegedly recovered 500 grams of gold from them.

Meanwhile, 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".

"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," BJP leader Chandrasekhar wrote on X.In 2020, Kerala was hit by a gold scam after the seizure of 30 kg of gold at the Thiruvananthapuram airport from a diplomatic bag.

M Sivasankar, the then principal secretary to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, was suspended and removed from his over the allegation that he had links with one of the accused.

Chandrasekhar is the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, which is Tharoor's parliamentary constituency.

Tharoor has contested the ongoing Lok Sabha elections from the Kerala seat.