The Keralam government on Tuesday ordered police inquiry into politically charged CMRL-Exalogic payoff controversy centring on Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena, and son-in-law and former Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said legal prerequisites, not politics as alleged by CPI(M), shaped decision. Legal advice cites Supreme Court ruling in Vijay Madanlal vs Union of India that law enforcement cannot but act on information shared by ED under Section 66(2) of PMLA. Neither government nor police have latitude. Also Lalita Kumari vs UP 2013 — FIR in suspected commercial fraud depends on preliminary inquiry revealing cognizable offence.
ED charged that CMRL, chemical company where Keralam govt has minority stake, camouflaged backhanders to Vijayan when CM as retainers to Veena’s now-defunct software firm Exalogic Solutions during 2017-2021 for consultancy services allegedly not provided. Last month ED sent 25-page report to State Police Chief seeking prosecution, claimed it confiscated diary detailing allegedly illicit financial transaction during raid at Vijayan’s house in May. Vijayan disputed incriminating entries, Riyas said personal journal contained scribblings about Veena’s Gulf business plans yet to materialise.
CPI(M) dared government to investigate Cabinet Ministers allegedly named by acronyms in slush fund ledger supposedly maintained by CMRL. Secretary M.V. Govindan accused UDF govt of being BJP’s B-team.
This is not just legal, it is political cycle — UDF probing LDF predecessor using ED input that originally came from Income Tax. Kerala politics now runs on diaries and acronyms. Inquiry ordered under legal compulsion may still end in preliminary inquiry concluding no cognizable offence — giving Vijayan clean chit before 2026 local polls. Or it may proceed to FIR, keeping pot boiling. Either way, Kerala’s model of coalition rivalry now uses central agencies as ammunition.