ED officials attack: Police collect evidence at Pinarayi Vijayan's house

Kerala Police initiated evidence collection in the attack on ED officials who were raiding former CM Pinarayi Vijayan's residence. The raid relates to the CMRL-Exalogic money laundering probe, which the Kerala High Court has permitted the ED to continue.

The Keralam Police has initiated evidence collection proceedings involving the arrested accused in the case related to the attack on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) team, which was conducting a raid at the residence of former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Keralam Assembly, Pinarayi Vijayan.

The investigation pertains to the attack which occurred in May while ED officials were conducting a raid at the rented residence of former Kerala Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram, in connection with the ongoing CMRL-Exalogic money laundering probe.

Evidence Collection and Protests

As part of the ongoing investigation, police officials brought the accused to the residence on Friday evening to reconstruct the events surrounding the attack on the officials' vehicle.

Earlier, ED searches were carried out at several locations in Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Ernakulam and Bengaluru, including premises linked to political figures, triggering sharp political reactions across the state. Following the raids, protests erupted in parts of Thiruvananthapuram, where CPI(M) workers allegedly attacked ED vehicles, leading to heightened security and police deployment.

High Court Backs ED Investigation

Meanwhile, this development comes after the Kerala High Court permitted the Enforcement Directorate to continue its investigation into the alleged financial transactions between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and Exalogic Solutions.

The Division Bench comprising Justices A Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar dismissed an appeal filed by CMRL challenging a single-judge order that had granted permission for the ED investigation to proceed. The case pertains to allegations of money laundering and suspected irregular financial transactions involving CMRL and entities linked to Exalogic Solutions, owned by the daughter of former Keralam Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Financial Transactions Under Scrutiny

The ED probe is part of wider investigations into alleged diversion of funds and questionable payments flagged by central agencies. The matter has also drawn political attention in Keralam, where searches conducted earlier by the ED across multiple locations triggered a major controversy.

The raids were linked to a Rs 182-crore money laundering investigation involving CMRL and associated entities. Investigators have alleged that Exalogic Solutions received Rs 2.78 crore from CMRL under the guise of consultancy services, while another firm, Empower India Capital Investment, allegedly extended loans despite repayment defaults. The probe is also examining claims of fictitious expenses and suspected fund diversion through shell entities.

Political Reactions to the Probe

Former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the action "political vendetta," while opposition parties and BJP leaders defended the investigation, calling it a lawful process under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)