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Bribery case: Kerala govt orders probe into ED report on action against ex-CM Vijayan
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the state government has decided to entrust the Director General of Police (DGP) with an inquiry into the Enforcement Directorate’s report
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The Keralam government on Tuesday ordered an investigation based on the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) report seeking action against former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and her husband P A Mohamed Riyas in the alleged CMRL bribery case.
Home minister Ramesh Chennithala told reporters that the state government has asked director general of police (DGP) Ravada Chandrasekhar to open an inquiry against Vijayan and others in the case.
“The nature of the probe will be decided by the DGP,” he said.
The state government had received legal advice from attorney general (AG) Jaju Babu based on the findings of the ED in the case. The AG is learnt to have recommended an inquiry against Vijayan and others after assessing that the central agency has unearthed evidence pointing to corruption and bribery.
Also Read: Satheesan: Will examine ED’s call for FIR against Vijayan
The ED, earlier this month, had sent a communication to the state DGP seeking the registration of a corruption case against Vijayan and others based on ‘evidence’ it found of the former chief minister receiving kickbacks from Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL), a Kochi-based minerals manufacturer, through his daughter Veena T and the now-defunct IT firm Exalogic she ran.
The ED has alleged that Vijayan received bribes amounting to ₹3.28 crore from the private firm in exchange for favours to the company in the minerals sector. The agency claimed that the funds were routed abroad through ‘hawala channels’ with the help of Riyas, who is married to Veena.
Also Read: PMLA case: ED summons T Veena, daughter of ex-CM Pinarayi Vijayan for questioning
The allegations are linked to the CMRL monthly payments case in which Veena and her firm Exalogic received money to the tune of ₹2.78 crore from CMRL even though no services were rendered by the IT firm. The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has also probed the case and filed a preliminary report in a court in Ernakulam district, charging Veena and top officials of CMRL in the case.
The CPI(M) has termed the ED’s actions as proof of ‘political vendetta’ by the Bharatiya Janata Party’led (BJP) Union government against opposition leaders.
