The mystery over the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summons to son of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan deepened as the Central agency failed to take any action against Vivek Kiran for defying the summons issued by it in 2023 in connection with the Life Mission money-laundering case is deepening.
Reports about the summons emerged only on 11 October, 2025, leading to accusations of a secret understanding between the CPM and the BJP.
The ED had issued the summons to Pinarayi Vijayan’s son as part of a plan to conduct a comprehensive review of his financial transactions based on the statements of the accused in the Life Mission fraud case. The move followed information the agency gathered during the interrogation of several individuals on monetary dealings linked to Vivek, who is employed at a bank in Abu Dhabi.
Swapna Suresh, an accused in the case, had reportedly mentioned Vivek Kiren’s role in the Life Mission case to the media in 2023. The chief minister’s former principal secretary M Sivashankar was named as an accused and arrested based on the statement of Unitach MD Santosh Eepan. However, the mystery of the ED’s suspension of further action against Vivek despite his non-appearance continues.
The ED, in its summons , asked Kiran to furnish details of all the bank accounts maintained by him in India and abroad. It also sought information and supporting documents regarding all assets, both movable and immovable, held in his name as well as that of his family members.
Apart from these, the Central agency reportedly demanded details of companies or firms in which Vivek served as a director or partner, along with documents showing his shareholding status in such entities. The directive was based on inputs that Vivek was involved in multiple business partnerships.
Although the ED had planned a thorough scrutiny of his financial transactions with this, what transpired afterwards remained a mystery.
Generally, if a person fails to respond to the first summons, the ED issues up to two additional summonses. In case, the individual does not comply after the three summonses, the agency is empowered to conduct a raid and effect an arrest. In Vivek’s case, it is learnt that no follow-up action was initiated by the ED.
A person may be exempted from appearing if they provide satisfactory explanations and evidence to prove that he/she didn’t commit any irregularity. It is not known whether Vijayan’s son had provided any such clarifications. Indications so far suggest that the investigation against him was as effectively frozen and there is no clarity on whether the ED intends to pursue any further action against him.
The agency also has the authority to file a partial chargesheet in such cases and add more accused later if new evidence emerges
The ED filed a chargesheet in the LIFE Mission case in 2023 before the Kochi PMLA court. The accused include the Kerala CM, former principal secretary, contractor Santhosh Eapen, former UAE Consulate staff members Swapna Suresh and PS Sarith and their associate Sandeep Nair. The case alleges that Rs 4.40 crore was paid as a bribe from the donation provided by the UAE Red Crescent for constructing flats for flood victims.
The Congress has raised serious allegations of a ‘nexus’ between the ruling CPM in Kerala and the BJP. Party General Secretary K C Venugopal said the notice was allegedly sent ‘secretively,’ contrasting with the widely publicized actions the ED takes against opposition leaders .
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the chief minister’s son appeared to have enjoyed special privilege, which, he alleged, stemmed from the unholy relationship between CM Vijayan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We all know what happens when someone fails to appear before the ED after being summoned. We have seen it in the cases of several others. But in this case, the chief minister’s son was summoned, he didn’t appear, and still, no further action was taken. There seems to be a special privilege for one person. This privilege clearly arises from the unholy relationship between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
He said frequent meetings between the chief minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave rise to the suspicion.