Veena Vijayan's 'payment' dealings need thorough investigation: Kerala Governor

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) on Thursday (Aug 10) came out in defence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter claiming that a legitimate payment had been made out to be a monthly payoff.

Kochi: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said that the controversy surrounding the irregular financial dealings against Chief Minister's daughter Veena Vijayan requires a thorough investigation. While speaking to the media in Kochi, he said that a decision to seek an explanation from the Chief Minister will be taken later.

"As per media reports, the allegations are very serious. It will be duly examined as it was the findings of the income tax department that were revealed," the Governor said.

The CPM has since provided an explanation for the situation, claiming that the monthly funds were credited in accordance with a written agreement that the two parties had signed. M.V. Govindan, the state secretary for the CPM, did not, however, answer inquiries regarding the services provided to qualify for such a transaction. He said that only the company can make comments about the services.

Kerala Chief Minister's daughter Veena Vijayan allegedly received Rs 1.72 crore from a private company Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) in monthly installments in the last three years. According to reports, Veena and her company, Exalogic Solutions, had a contract with the CMRL to offer the latter IT, marketing consulting, and software services. The income tax department has reportedly claimed that no services were, however, provided. 

CMRL Managing Director S N Sasidharan Kartha, however, refuted the allegations and told Asianet News that there were no financial dealings with Veena's firm and that the Income Tax Department had not seized the diary from his possession.