According to official sources, the Enforcement Directorate has initiated legal proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Veena Vijayan, daughter of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, her IT company, and several others. This action follows allegations of illicit payments made by a private mineral firm to Veena and her company. It's reported that the agency will soon summon those involved in the matter for further investigation.
The genesis of this case lies in a complaint lodged by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), an investigative body under the Union corporate affairs ministry. The ED's involvement comes subsequent to this complaint, signaling a serious turn of events. The allegations stem from an investigation by the Income Tax Department, which claimed that Cochin Minerals And Rutile Ltd (CMRL) purportedly made unauthorized payments amounting to Rs 1.72 crore to Veena's company, Exalogic Solutions, between 2018 and 2019. Remarkably, it was asserted that Exalogic Solutions rendered no services to CMRL during this period.
In a recent development, the Karnataka High Court dismissed a petition filed by Exalogic Solutions challenging the probe launched by the SFIO. This ruling adds a significant dimension to the ongoing legal proceedings, suggesting a tightening of the investigative noose around the entities involved.
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