On Wednesday, searches have been initiated by the Enforcement Directorate in different places in Kerala, targeting the property of Pinarayi Vijayan, the former chief minister and senior leader of the CPI(M) Party, regarding the money laundering case against the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited. According to sources from the agency, the searches are taking place under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The sources said that at least 10 to 12 searches were taking place simultaneously. Among those, the house rented in the capital city of Kerala – Thiruvananthapuram – of Mr. Vijayan, the residential house of Mr. Vijayan in Kannur, as well as the property owned by his daughter, T. Veena, and her husband, P.A. Mohammed Riyas, in Kozhikode. The stringent act has taken place only a day after the High Court of Kerala dismissed the petition filed by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited along with its top management seeking to quash the ECIR.
The main point of focus for the inquiry lies in the possibility of an irregular financial arrangement existing between CMRL and Exalogic Solutions, a defunct IT consulting firm operated and managed by the daughter of Pinarayi Vijayan, T. Veena. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating claims related to the payments amounting to roughly ₹1.72 crore made by CMRL to Exalogic Solutions between 2018 and 2019.
These payments have been suspected to be made through an illegal route, using them as payment for false professional services rendered. Although the leaders of the CPI(M) party have constantly maintained their position regarding the baselessness of the case, the raids conducted on one of their Politburo members, who was also a former Chief Minister, have increased political tension in Kerala.
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