The daughter of Kerala Chief Minister and CPI(M) politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan, Veena Vijayan, is the subject of an alleged illicit payment scandal that has prompted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to open an investigation. This comes about as a result of a report released by the income tax department last year that highlighted suspicious transactions involving Veena’s IT company, Exalogic Solutions Private Limited, and the Kochi-based company Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL).
The income tax authorities concluded that, over the course of three years (2018–19), CMRL reportedly paid “illegal payments” to Exalogic Solutions Private Limited worth Rs 1.72 crore, even though the latter was said to have rendered no services to CMRL. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) opened an independent investigation into Veena’s company once this information was made public.
The inquiry proceeded in spite of legal objections, including a petition challenging SFIO’s findings filed in the Karnataka High Court by Exalogic Solutions Private Limited. Furthermore, the Kerala High Court heard a challenge to SFIO’s probe by the state-run Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), which has shares in CMRL. But the court stressed the need for openness and responsibility in the case while simultaneously declining to put an end to the investigation.
Shone George, a member of the Kottayam district panchayat and the son of prominent politician P C George, who recently joined the BJP, filed a complaint that led to the ED becoming involved in the case. The ED opened an inquiry after George voiced concerns regarding possible financial irregularities and money laundering operations involving Veena’s firm, CMRL, and KSIDC.
Veena Vijayan’s financial transactions and her company’s relationships with CMRL and government agencies are likely to come under closer examination as a result of the ED’s intervention. The goal of the investigation is to go through the intricate details of these transactions and ascertain whether any rules or laws have been broken.
Significant concerns over accountability, ethics, and transparency in economic activities between public officials and their relatives are raised by this investigation. The investigation’s conclusion will have an impact on Kerala’s larger political and business scene in addition to Veena Vijayan and her accomplices.
Maintaining integrity and ethical standards in corporate procedures and governance is of utmost importance, while the ED investigates the purported issue further. The public is eagerly awaiting the investigation’s findings in the hopes of justice and clarity in the fight for accountability and openness in Kerala’s financial dealings.
