ED Summons Pinarayi Vijayan’s Daughter Veena in CMRL-Exalogic Money Laundering Probe
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Veena Vijayan, daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, for questioning in connection with the ongoing CMRL-Exalogic financial transactions investigation.
According to sources, Veena has been asked to appear before the ED’s Kochi office on Friday. The agency has reportedly issued summons to nine individuals, including Veena and officials associated with Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited.
The case revolves around alleged financial dealings between Veena’s IT company, Exalogic Solutions, and CMRL. Investigators are examining whether the transactions were genuine business arrangements or part of a larger financial irregularity.
The summons come shortly after ED teams carried out searches at multiple locations linked to Veena, Exalogic, and others connected to the case. Officials are expected to question those summoned using documents, financial records, and digital evidence collected during the raids.
In a significant development, a special court recently allowed the ED access to documents attached to a report prepared by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office, rejecting CMRL’s attempt to block the sharing of those records. The agency is seeking agreements, tax records, and other financial documents related to the transactions under scrutiny.
Sources say the ED has already gathered substantial evidence and is now focusing on tracing the movement of funds and questioning individuals linked to the alleged transactions.
The investigation intensified after the agency froze nearly ₹18 crore spread across 242 bank accounts during recent searches. One of the frozen accounts reportedly belongs to Veena Vijayan and contains around ₹1.5 lakh.
The probe has also sparked political controversy in Kerala. Leaders and workers of the Left Democratic Front have accused the ED of acting with political motives and targeting opposition figures. Protests erupted outside some of the locations searched by the agency, with clashes reported in Thiruvananthapuram. Police have registered cases against hundreds of protesters and arrested several individuals.
Meanwhile, the ED has alleged that its officials, along with police and CRPF personnel, were attacked during the demonstrations. The Kerala government has defended the police response, while opposition parties have accused the ruling front of attempting to interfere with the investigation.
With Veena Vijayan now summoned for questioning, attention is firmly on Friday’s proceedings, which could mark a key stage in the ED’s investigation into the CMRL-Exalogic financial transactions case.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
