KOCHI: Veena T, the daughter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was reportedly questioned by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in Chennai recently as part of the latter’s investigation into the alleged kickbacks her IT firm Exalogic Solutions received from the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL).
Soon after the news broke, the Congress-led UDF alleged a “deal” between the CPM and BJP ahead of the bypolls in Kerala, while the BJP claimed the case exposed the LDF-UDF nexus in the state.
Veena appeared before the SFIO last Wednesday, for the second time. She had earlier appeared before the SFIO, which comes under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, following the Karnataka High Court’s refusal to stay the investigation in February.
This was shortly after the Centre ordered the SFIO probe into the affairs of Exalogic as well as CMRL and Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation.
Responding to the development, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan termed the questioning an election stunt, as the announcement for the bypoll is expected on Monday.
“It is an attempt to mislead the public into believing that the CPM and BJP are fighting face-to-face in the state. We saw it in the case of Thrissur Lok Sabha seat and in the Karuvannur bank issue,” he said, emphasising that the CPM and BJP could not hide the nexus.
Satheesan also said that even if Veena was questioned, it was part of the procedure.
“Even if she was questioned by the SFIO, it is part of the investigation. They are repeating whatever they did in the last election. We don’t take it seriously and know that no investigation will be conducted by central agencies against Pinarayi Vijayan or the CPM,” he alleged.
‘Case exposes real face of LDF, UDF’
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran said the real face of the LDF and UDF had been exposed through the case.
“Satheesan has been alleging a deal between CPM and BJP. He should clarify. Congress and League leaders received the amount from Karimanal Kartha (Sashidharan Kartha, the CMRL MD). The leader of Opposition should clear his stand in this matter too,” Surendran said, adding that the only party that has not received any amount from Kartha is the BJP.
He also criticised the UDF for its inaction during the investigation, stating that while the BJP actively pursued the case through central agencies, UDF leaders remained mere spectators.
On the status of the Karuvannur cooperative bank corruption case, Surendran said the investigating agencies are trying to return the money to the investors.
“The aim is to confiscate the assets of all corrupt persons and give them to the victims. The culprits will be punished,” he said.