Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 22: The Kerala government on Tuesday ordered a police inquiry into an Enforcement Directorate (ED) report concerning former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T Veena and son-in-law and former minister P A Mohamed Riyas in the alleged CMRL-Exalogic financial transactions case.
State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the decision was taken after considering the legal opinion of the Advocate General and discussions with Chief Minister V D Satheesan.
He said the State Police Chief would decide the nature of the inquiry and the agency that would conduct it. Reports said the Crime Branch would investigate the matter, with a Special Investigation Team likely to be headed by an ADGP-level officer.
Chennithala said the government’s decision was based on legal requirements and not political considerations.
“Legal prerequisites, and not politics” shaped the government’s decision, he said.
The minister referred to Supreme Court judgments, including Vijay Madanlal Choudhary vs Union of India and Lalita Kumari vs State of Uttar Pradesh, while explaining the legal position on information received by law enforcement agencies and preliminary inquiries.
The ED had sought action against Vijayan and others in connection with alleged payments made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) to Veena’s now-defunct IT firm Exalogic Solutions. The agency has alleged that about Rs 2.78 crore was paid under the guise of IT consultancy services.
The alleged transactions relate to the period when Vijayan was chief minister. The ED had earlier sent a report to the state police seeking registration of a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CPI(M) criticised the state government’s decision, alleging that central investigative agencies were being used to target Opposition leaders.
CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby said the party would face the matter “legally and politically”, while alleging that the ED had been used to pursue political objectives.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan alleged that the UDF government was acting as the “B-team of the Sangh Parivar”.
Riyas denied wrongdoing and said he would face the matter with confidence.
BJP leader V Muraleedharan, meanwhile, questioned the decision to conduct the inquiry through the Crime Branch and demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI.
The allegations against Vijayan, Veena and Riyas remain subject to investigation and have not been established by a court.
