Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday said the government had received the Advocate General's legal opinion on the Enforcement Directorate's request to register a corruption case against LoP Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and son-in-law and MLA P A Mohamed Riyas.
The Enforcement Directorate recently sent a letter to State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar seeking registration of an FIR against Vijayan, Veena, Riyas and some others in connection with the alleged CMRL bribery case, based on "evidence" gathered during its probe and searches conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The ED has alleged that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd made fraudulent payments of Rs 2.78 crore to Veena's now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, under the guise of "IT consultancy services".
Speaking to reporters, Chennithala said the legal opinion was received on Friday evening and that the Home Department was examining it. "Our Home Department is currently examining it. Further steps will be decided after consulting with the CM," he said.
Asked about reports that the Advocate General had recommended registration of a case based on the ED's recommendation, Chennithala said he had not seen the opinion as he received it only after leaving office on Friday.
"I haven't seen it. I received it after I left office on Friday. After examining it, decisions on further action will be made on Monday or Tuesday as we have holidays these days," he said.
Asked whether Chief Minister V D Satheesan would discuss the case while meeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, Chennithala said there was no need for such a discussion.
"I don't know if they have spoken. There's no need for me to know; these are matters to be decided here," he said.
CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby alleged that the ED action was aimed at the CPI(M), specifically targeting Vijayan.
"It may seem to you that this attack is specifically targeting Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan, its most prominent former CM and opposition leader. This is indeed aimed at the CPI(M)," Baby said.
He alleged that the BJP leadership was now targeting Keralam and would get the support and cooperation of the Congress and the UDF to make inroads into the state.
Baby referred to the BJP's rise to power in Tripura and West Bengal and alleged that it had happened with the help of local Congress units.
Senior CPI(M) leader A K Balan challenged the UDF government to register an FIR against Vijayan over the alleged CMRL bribery, saying either way, the move would be a "double-edged sword".
"If an FIR is filed, the ones who will end up getting caught are Ramesh Chennithala and P K Kunhalikutty. And if an FIR is not filed, Pinarayi Vijayan's innocence will be proven," he told reporters in Palakkad.
Balan was referring to the CPI(M)'s allegation that Ministers Chennithala and Kunhalikutty had also received money from CMRL.
He said the allegations against Vijayan had already been examined by the Vigilance and referred to the dismissal of complaints filed by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan before various courts.
"If they claim there is new evidence, they should state what that evidence is. What evidence do they actually have?" he asked.
Balan challenged the government to register an FIR, saying the Vigilance could then establish the allegations through evidence.
He likened the UDF government's situation to that of the characters in William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', saying it was caught in a "sea of guilt" and faced a dilemma over whether to move forward or turn back.
(With inputs from PTI)
