The Enforcement Directorate (Enforcement Directorate) has issued a summons to T. Veena (Veena Vijayan), daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister and current Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, in connection with the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL)–Exalogic monthly pay-off case.
She has been directed to appear for questioning at the agency’s Kochi zonal office on Friday. This is the first time she has been formally summoned by the central agency in the high-profile case.
Apart from Veena, the ED has also issued summons to eight officials of Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited, including its Chairman and Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha and his son Sharan S. Kartha.
The latest development comes as the Enforcement Directorate intensifies its investigation following a high-level review meeting in Kochi chaired by ED Director Rahul Navin. Sources said officials examined the evidence and material collected so far, including documents related to Veena T. The Director has reportedly instructed the team to expedite further investigative steps.
Earlier, the ED had questioned Veena during searches conducted on May 27 in connection with the case. Officials were reportedly not satisfied with some of the responses provided at that time, following which she was summoned again for further interrogation.
The ED’s move follows a Kerala High Court Division Bench decision dismissing CMRL’s appeal seeking to halt the probe, ruling that there is no legal barrier preventing the agency from continuing its investigation.
In another major development, a special court in Kochi on Monday allowed the ED access to 134 crucial documents originally collected by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (Serious Fraud Investigation Office).
The Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), presided over by Judge Suresh Babu V. P. M., approved the ED’s petition seeking copies of documents gathered by the SFIO, which had earlier investigated alleged fictitious expenses admitted by CMRL before the Income Tax Settlement Board.
Investigators believe the newly acquired documents have significantly strengthened their case. Officials are expected to gather further details during Friday’s scheduled questioning.
The case centres on allegations of money laundering, wherein CMRL allegedly paid ₹2.78 crore to Veena’s now-defunct IT consultancy firm, Exalogic Solutions, between 2017 and 2021.
Central agencies allege that these transactions represent “proceeds of crime” disguised as legitimate business payments. Investigators further claim that no actual IT or marketing services were rendered by Exalogic to justify the payments.