Stories
Kerala VACB Files FIRs Against Pinarayi Vijayan and Family in CMRL Bribery Case
- •The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered two FIRs against former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family members following a Kerala High Court directive and an ED report.
- •The controversy centers on alleged illegal payments of around 2.78 crore rupees made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited to Exalogic Solutions, an IT firm linked to Vijayan's daughter Veena T.
- •Investigators allege that CMRL recorded the payments as business expenses despite no actual services being provided, prompting scrutiny from the Income Tax Department, ED, and SFIO.
- •The second FIR involves allegations of overseas fund transfers through hawala channels linked to Vijayan's son-in-law P A Muhammad Riyas, who is named as the first accused in that case.
- •Veena T, Exalogic, and the CPI(M) have strongly rejected all allegations, claiming the transactions were legitimate business dealings and that the central agency investigations are politically motivated.
Key Questions Answered
The case centers on allegations that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) made substantial payments totaling crores to Exalogic Solutions, an IT company linked to former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter, Veena T., without the company actually providing any services. The Income Tax Department and central agencies investigated these transactions as illegal business expenses and potential money laundering.
On October 9, the Kerala High Court directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to register FIRs following an Enforcement Directorate report and a challenge by K M Shajahan against the state government's decision to order a Crime Branch preliminary inquiry instead of an FIR.
The VACB registered two separate FIRs under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The first FIR names former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan as the first accused in connection with payments made to Exalogic Solutions, while the second names his son-in-law, P A Muhammad Riyas, as the first accused regarding alleged overseas hawala fund transfers.
