In a significant development that may raise political temperature in Kerala , it has been reported that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had summoned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s son, Vivek Kiran, in connection with the Life Mission money-laundering case.
File image (Photo: IANS)
In a significant development that may raise political temperature in Kerala , it has been reported that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had summoned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s son, Vivek Kiran, in connection with the Life Mission money-laundering case.
The news report published by a leading Malayalam daily on Saturday says that the ED had issued summons No. KCCEDO/2023/769 to “Vivek Kiran, son of Pinarayi Vijayan, Cliff House, Thiruvananthapuram,” under Sections 50(2) and 50(3) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The summons was issued by the then ED Kochi Assistant Director PK Anand. It stated that Vivek’s presence was “essential in the case being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002,” and directed Vivek to appear before the agency’s Kochi office on February 14, 2023, with details of his bank accounts, assets, and those of his family members.
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However, sources suggest that Vivek did not appear before the agency, and no further immediate action followed. It may be noted that it was on the very night of that same day that M Sivasankar, the former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, was arrested following three days of continuous interrogation.It is not known what action the ED took against Vivek, who did not appear in the summons.
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There are indications that the ED had sought information about Vivek, who works in Abu Dhabi, from the UAE authorities. It is not known what happened after that.
The ED has not yet officially commented on the status or outcome of the probe, leaving the matter open to public and political speculation.
The Congress has raised serious allegations of a ‘nexus’ between the ruling CPM in Kerala and the BJP. Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal said the notice was allegedly sent ‘secretively,’ contrasting with the widely publicized actions the ED takes against opposition figures.
“If the ED issues notices to Congress or other opposition leaders, it becomes a nationwide spectacle. Even routine questioning or procedural arrests are blown up in the media, as seen in the National Herald case or the Hemant Soren case in Jharkhand. In the case of Kerala Chief Minister’s son, the ED did not seek such publicity,” Venugopal said.
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