As clock ticks, heat rises for Pinarayi Vijayan in daughter’s ED case

Thiruvananthapuram, May 30 (IANS) The walls appear to be closing in on former Kerala Chief Minister and current Opposition Leader, Pinarayi Vijayan, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) prepares for what could be the most critical phase of its probe into the controversial CMRL-Exalogic monthly payment, or ‘Masappadi’, case involving his daughter Veena Vijayan.

Sources indicate that the ED is moving swiftly to summon Veena for questioning after what investigators describe as significant material recovered during recent raids in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.

The agency is expected to seek final clearance from its headquarters in New Delhi before issuing a formal notice requiring her appearance.

The developments come even as the Kerala High Court Division Bench is set to hear a petition filed by CMRL seeking a stay on the ED investigation.

The central agency has decided to strongly oppose the plea and is expected to place key evidence collected during the probe before the court in a sealed cover.

The Additional Solicitor General is likely to appear for the ED, while CMRL is reportedly preparing to engage senior Supreme Court lawyers for the high-stakes legal battle.

At the heart of the investigation are digital devices seized during the raids, including Veena Vijayan’s mobile phone and laptops recovered from the office and residence of CMRL Managing Director, S.N. Sasidharan Kartha.

The devices have been sent for forensic examination, with investigators hoping to recover deleted emails, WhatsApp chats and financial records that could shed fresh light on the transactions under scrutiny.

The ED has also seized more than 200 documents, including bank vouchers, financial records and documents linked to earlier Income Tax investigations.

A special team is currently analysing the material at its Kochi office.

Investigators are cross-verifying the documents with witness statements and banking records to identify discrepancies before commencing questioning.

The agency has already frozen 242 bank accounts linked to the case and is tracing the movement of funds allegedly transferred from CMRL to Exalogic and related entities.

Officials are also examining whether the money was subsequently routed to other domestic or overseas accounts.

Adding to the pressure, the ED is expected to argue before the High Court that the evidence gathered so far justifies an uninterrupted probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Investigators believe the case extends beyond a corporate transaction and are probing wider financial and political links.

For the CPI(M), the timing could hardly be worse. With the High Court hearing looming and an ED summons to Veena appearing increasingly likely, the case has evolved into a major political challenge for Vijayan and the party leadership.

Any move to formally question the Opposition Leader’s daughter would hand fresh ammunition to both the UDF and BJP, while ensuring that the Masappadi controversy remains at the centre of Kerala’s political discourse in the days ahead.

With 18 CPI-M workers arrested for the attack on ED officials and more likely to be put behind bars, things appear to put the CPI-M and its leadership in a tight spot.

–IANS

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