Kerala Vigilance to Register FIR Against Pinarayi Vijayan, Daughter and Son-in-Law on Oct 12

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday said the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau would register an FIR on Monday, October 12, in the CMRL-Exalogic monthly payment case involving Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena, former minister and son-in-law P.A. Mohammed Riyas, and others.

Chennithala said the state government would proceed with legal action in the matter and saw no need to challenge the Kerala High Court’s order.

On Friday, the High Court directed the Vigilance Bureau to register a case and investigate the allegations under the Prevention of Corruption Act, taking into account evidence submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court also quashed the Crime Branch’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), which had been constituted to conduct a preliminary inquiry.

The court ordered that all documents and digital evidence submitted by the ED to Director General of Police Ravada Azad Chandrasekhar, along with material collected by the SIT, be transferred to the Vigilance Bureau without delay.

The proposed FIR is expected to bring the allegations against Vijayan, Riyas, Veena and others within a formal criminal investigation.

The ED has alleged that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) paid Rs 3.28 crore to Veena’s company, Exalogic Solutions, between 2017 and 2019 without receiving services in return.

The Vigilance Bureau will have to conduct its own investigation and gather evidence to determine whether the payments constituted bribery or involved any other offence. The registration of an FIR does not establish the guilt of the individuals named, and the allegations will have to be substantiated through investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.

The course of the investigation, including any further action against those concerned, will depend on the evidence collected. The possibility of separate proceedings by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act also remains open, subject to the applicable legal requirements.

Meanwhile, Vijayan and the other individuals concerned are expected to challenge the High Court single judge’s order before a Division Bench. They could seek a stay on the investigation or request that the order be set aside.

The ED’s submissions and the High Court’s findings are likely to figure prominently in any further legal proceedings as the long-running monthly payment controversy enters a new phase.

The issue is also expected to feature prominently in the Kerala Assembly when its nine-day session begins on Monday. The proceedings are likely to draw close attention as the Opposition seeks to raise the matter against the V.D. Satheesan government.