ED seeks FIR against Kerala ex-CM Vijayan in CMRL bribery case

The Enforcement Directorate has directed Kerala's police chief to file an FIR against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena, son-in-law P.A. Mohammad Riyaz and others in connection with alleged bribery and fraudulent payments linked to Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL). The ED invoked Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), sharing findings from its investigation and searches.

The central focus is alleged financial transactions between CMRL and Veena's now-defunct company Exlogic Solutions. The ED claims CMRL made fraudulent payments of approximately ₹2.78 crore to Exlogic under the guise of IT consultancy services. The agency is investigating the nature and origins of these funds.

The ED conducted searches at the Thiruvananthapuram residence where Veena lived with Vijayan, subsequently questioning her. During the searches, the agency said it recovered handwritten notes and other documents that it claims support its investigation.