ED letter against Vijayan, daughter, Riyas to be examined: Chennithala

Kerala home minister Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday said the state government would examine the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) request seeking registration of an FIR against CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena and son-in-law P.A. Mohammed Riyas in connection with the CMRL-linked alleged bribery case.

Chennithala said the ED’s communication, addressed to Kerala director general of police Ravada A. Chandrasekhar, would be examined and appropriate action taken in accordance with the law.

Speaking to reporters, the minister said he had spoken to the DGP, who informed him that he had received the ED’s letter only around 10 minutes earlier.

“The DGP will examine the letter. After examining it, a decision will be taken on what action needs to be taken as per law,” Chennithala said, adding that the police would follow the prescribed procedure before deciding on the next course of action.

The development came after reports emerged that the ED had invoked Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) while communicating its findings to the state police.

Under Section 66(2), the ED can share information and findings from its investigation with another law-enforcement agency if they indicate the commission of offences that fall under that agency’s jurisdiction. Such information can form the basis for registration of a fresh FIR or complaint.

According to sources, the ED has sought an FIR against Vijayan, Veena, Riyas and others based on evidence allegedly gathered during its investigation and searches conducted under the PMLA.

The case centres on alleged payments involving Kerala-based mining company Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) and Veena’s now-defunct IT firm, Exalogic Solutions.

The ED has alleged that CMRL made payments totalling around Rs 2.78 crore to Exalogic under the guise of providing IT consultancy services. The agency has been examining whether these payments were genuine business transactions or were made for other purposes.

The investigation has also involved searches and questioning of individuals linked to the alleged financial transactions. The ED had raided premises linked to Veena, who was residing with Vijayan at a rented accommodation in Thiruvananthapuram, and subsequently questioned her.

The ED’s latest communication to the Kerala Police could potentially lead to the registration of a separate police case, depending on the findings of the DGP’s examination and the legal process that follows.

For now, Chennithala said the matter would be dealt with strictly according to the prescribed legal procedure.

With PTI inputs