KOCHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Veena T, daughter of former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, directing her to appear for questioning on June 17 in connection with a money laundering investigation, officials said on Friday.
Veena had earlier sought a postponement of her initial summons scheduled for June 12, citing health concerns, sources added.
The ED had earlier asked Veena to appear before its Kochi unit on Friday for questioning and the recording of her statement in a case linked to alleged financial dealings between her now-defunct IT firm, Exalogic Solutions Pvt Ltd, and Kerala-based sand mining company Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL).
However, citing health issues, she informed the agency that she was unable to appear and sought a postponement of her deposition. In an email sent to the ED, Veena reportedly requested two weeks' time and stated that the documents sought by the investigating officer could be submitted through her lawyer.
Despite the request for additional time, the agency has now issued a new summons requiring her to appear next week.
CMRL managing director Sasidharan Kartha, several company officials and nine others have also been summoned on different dates as part of the investigation.
Saran S Kartha, son of Shasidharan Kartha, has been directed to appear before the ED's Kochi office for questioning on Monday.
The ED recently conducted searches at the premises of Veena, who resides with her father in a rented house in Thiruvananthapuram.
The agency is investigating allegations that CMRL made fraudulent payments amounting to Rs 2.78 crore to Exalogic Solutions under the guise of IT consultancy services.
Officials further alleged that another company operated by Kartha, Empower India Capital Investment Private Limited, extended loans worth Rs 50 lakh to Exalogic Solutions despite repeated delays in repayment.
Investigators claim that the transactions resulted in the generation of “proceeds of crime” and are seeking to determine the rationale behind the payments and loans.
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case was registered in March 2024 after the ED took cognisance of a complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), the investigative arm of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The SFIO later submitted a prosecution complaint before a court in Ernakulam in April 2025.
CMRL first came under the scrutiny of central agencies following an Income Tax Department raid in January 2019, which allegedly uncovered fake expenditure amounting to Rs 130 crore.
Court documents state that the company inflated expenditure by Rs 133.82 crore by recording bogus cash expenses under ‘transportation’ and ‘sludge handling’ between the financial years 2012-13 and 2018-19. The funds were allegedly used for illegal payments to politicians, political parties, media organisations and public servants.
The documents further state that CMRL’s chief financial officer and managing director admitted before tax authorities that such payments were made to ensure smooth business operations amid threats of closure and environmental challenges.
Officials said CMRL later acknowledged these fake expenses before the Income Tax Settlement Commission, following which a complaint was referred to the SFIO.
In its prosecution complaint, the SFIO alleged that CMRL generated fictitious cash expenses worth Rs 182 crore over 15 years in order to bribe various individuals, and that Rs 91 crore was paid towards transport services to companies linked to the Kartha family.
(With inputs from PTI)