Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday said the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) letter seeking registration of an FIR against senior CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan and others in the alleged CMRL bribery case would be legally scrutinised before any action is taken.
Speaking at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting chaired by him, Satheesan said there was “no politics” involved in the matter.
“A letter has been received from the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Since a central agency has sent the letter, it will be examined legally before taking a decision,” he said.
“Law will take its own course,” he added.
Satheesan also rejected suggestions that the Congress was adopting a double standard on the issue. He said the party had co-operated with the ED when Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the agency for more than 50 hours.
He also accused CPI(M) workers of obstructing the agency, alleging that they had damaged ED vehicles following a search at Vijayan’s rented accommodation in Kerala earlier this year.
The remarks came after the ED wrote to Kerala Director General of Police Ravada A Chandrasekhar seeking registration of an FIR against Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and her husband P A Mohamed Riyas, among others.
The agency’s request is based on evidence it claims to have gathered during its investigation and searches conducted under the PMLA.
The ED has alleged that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) made fraudulent payments totalling Rs 2.78 crore to Veena’s now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, in the guise of providing IT consultancy services.
The federal agency searched premises linked to Veena, who was living with Vijayan in a rented accommodation in Thiruvananthapuram, in June. She was subsequently questioned by the agency.
(With inputs from PTI)
