The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has registered two First Information Reports (FIRs) against former Chief Minister and current Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan and members of his family in connection with allegations arising from the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) case. According to sources, the cases were filed by the agency’s Special Investigation Unit-1 following legal advice and a directive from the Kerala High Court.
The FIRs concern two separate sets of allegations detailed in a report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the state police. The High Court had directed the state government to initiate a criminal case based on the material provided by the central investigative agency.
One of the cases concerns alleged payments made by CMRL to Veena T, Vijayan’s daughter, through her now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions. The ED has alleged that the company received payments amounting to Rs 2.78 crore under the stated purpose of providing information technology consultancy services. The agency has questioned the nature of these transactions and alleged that the payments were fraudulent.
Vijayan has been named the first accused in the FIR concerning the alleged payments to Veena. The case will examine the allegations relating to the financial transactions between CMRL and Exalogic Solutions, based on the material referred to in the ED’s report.
The second FIR relates to allegations of money being transferred abroad through hawala channels in connection with payments involving P A Muhammad Riyas, a Kerala MLA and Vijayan’s son-in-law. Riyas has been named the first accused in this case, according to sources familiar with the proceedings.
The cases have been registered under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The registration of the FIRs marks the initiation of a state-level investigation into the allegations referred to by the ED.
The ED had sought the registration of criminal cases based on evidence it said was collected during its investigation, including searches conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The agency’s report was subsequently placed before the state authorities, prompting the legal proceedings that led to the High Court’s intervention.
The VACB’s investigation is expected to examine the transactions and allegations covered by the two FIRs. The claims against the individuals named in the cases remain allegations at this stage, and their legal implications will depend on the findings of the investigation and subsequent proceedings.
