Idukki, October 10 (Daily Kiran) : Kerala’s Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala announced on Saturday that the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) will file a First Information Report (FIR) on Monday regarding the CMRL-Exalogic payment case. This case involves opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan, former minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, his daughter T. Veena, and others.
Chennithala stated that the state government intends to take legal action and sees no need to appeal against the Kerala High Court’s orders. On Friday, the High Court directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate the matter under the Prevention of Corruption Act, based on the evidence presented by the ED. The court also instructed the VACB to register a case and examine the allegations.
The High Court annulled the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that had been formed for the preliminary inquiry. It ordered that all documents and digital evidence provided to Police Chief Ravada Azad Chandrasekhar by the ED be promptly transferred to the Vigilance Department.
The ED has alleged that CMRL paid T. Veena’s company, Exalogic, ₹3.28 crore between 2017 and 2019 without receiving any services in return. While the ED’s findings and records will be shared with the police, the Vigilance Department must conduct its own investigation to gather evidence to determine if the payments constitute bribery and if the accused were involved in any crime. An FIR alone does not establish guilt; the allegations must be substantiated through investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
Typically, the Vigilance Department does not make immediate arrests in such cases, but the direction of the investigation will depend on the evidence collected. As of now, further actions by the ED remain unclear. Once legal requirements are met, the agency may initiate separate proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Pinarayi Vijayan and other involved parties are likely to challenge the single judge’s order in the High Court’s division bench. They may seek to halt the investigation or request the court to quash the order. The ED’s arguments and the High Court’s findings could play a crucial role in the upcoming legal battles.
The ongoing investigation by the Vigilance Department and potential parallel actions by the ED could escalate the political and legal ramifications of this long-standing payment dispute.
As the Kerala Assembly prepares for a new nine-day session starting Monday, the issue is expected to resonate within the House, especially as the leftist opposition challenges the VD Satheesan government.
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