ED files money laundering case against Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena in ‘illegal payments’ row

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan to probe a case of illegal payments made by a private firm to her IT company, Exalogic Solutions, official sources told news agency PTI on Wednesday. The ED's money laundering case has come nearly a month after the Karnataka High Court dismissed a plea by Exalogic Solutions against a probe by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).

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The ED has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is expected to summon the people involved, the sources told PTI. The ED has taken over the matter after a complaint was filed by the SFIO, the investigative arm of the Union Corporate Affairs Ministry.

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About the illegal payment case against Veena Vijayan

The case garnered attention after an Income Tax Department investigation alleged that a private company called Cochin Minerals And Rutile Ltd (CMRL) made an illegal payment of ₹1.72 crore to Veena's company-- Exalogic Solutions-- from 2018 to 2019. The payment was made to the IT firm of Kerala CM's daughter even though the mineral company didn't provide any service to her firm. 

On January 31, the Exalogic Solution approached the Karnataka High Court after the central government directed the SFIO to investigate the matter. In its plea to the high court, the IT firm had argued that Section 212 under which the SFIO has initiated a probe was a serious provision along the lines of those under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), reported the Indian Express. Such sections are used in serious cases involving hundreds of crores of rupees.