CPI(M) staged a protest at the ED headquarters in Delhi against raids on former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's residence. Senior leaders, including Brinda Karat, were detained. M.A. Baby called the raid a politically motivated act of vendetta.
CPI(M) Protests ED Action, Leaders Detained
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a protest at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) headquarters in Delhi against the agency's raids on the residence of former Keralam Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday. The protest was led by CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby.
As per CPI(M), during the protest, Delhi Police detained the demonstrators. The detained accused included senior leader Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau members Ashok Dhawale, Mariam Dhawale and Vijoo Krishnan, Central Committee members Vikram Singh, and Delhi State secretary Anurag Saxena. More than one hundred protesters were also detained.
Party Condemns 'Political Vendetta'
CPI(M), in its statement, said that M.A. Baby strongly condemned the action carried out by the ED under the direction of the central government and stated that the raid on Pinarayi Vijayan's residence was a politically motivated act of vendetta. He pointed out that courts have repeatedly observed that Pinarayi Vijayan has absolutely no connection with the Exalogic case, yet the political witch-hunt against him continues unabated. He is now being targeted even for being Veena's father.
He further stated that such an action taking place immediately after Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan's meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi raises serious questions and appears to be a politically orchestrated drama. Several individuals whose names reportedly appeared in the CMRL diary continue to hold important positions in the state government. However, while ignoring all of them, the continuous targeting of Pinarayi Vijayan further exposes the political vendetta behind these actions.
He said that the party has no intention whatsoever of obstructing any investigation process. However, the blatant misuse of central agencies by the central government for political targeting cannot be accepted. The party will mobilise people and organise strong protests across the country against the selective targeting of opposition leaders and the attacks on democratic rights.
Details of the ED Probe
ED conducted searches in 10 places in connection with the alleged fraudulent payments to Veena, Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter, amid a Rs 182-crore money laundering probe into the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) case. Investigators indicate that "one of the fake expenses booked by CMRL is towards the payment to Veena."
Officials told ANI, "The company of Veena, Exalogic Solutions Private Limited (a one-person company), received fraudulent payments totalling Rs 2.78 crores from CMRL under the guise of Income Tax consultancy services."
Further, the officials privy to the case said the Empower India Capital Investment Private Limited (EICPL), operated by SN Sasidharan Kartha, MD of CMRL, allegedly extended loans to Exalogic totalling Rs 50 lakhs, despite Exalogic failing to make timely repayments.
CMRL is a publicly listed company in which 48.75 per cent shares are held by the general public, and 13.41 per cent shares are held by the Keralam state PSU Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (as on March 31, 2023).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)