Kerala: ED team attacked allegedly by CPI(M) workers after raids at ex-CM Vijayan’s residence

Enforcement Directorate officials who raided the house of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday were attacked and their vehicles vandalised allegedly by Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers, The Indian Express reported.

The officials were attacked while leaving Vijayan’s house after completing the seven-hour-long raid.

The central agency had carried out searches at the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader’s residences in Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram as part of a money-laundering investigation.

It is investigating whether Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited, a private company, paid around Rs 1.7 crore to a now-defunct information technology firm run by Vijayan’s daughter, T Veena, between 2017 and 2021.

The mining company, in which the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation has 13.4% stake, had allegedly made the payments to Veena’s Exalogic Solutions with no evidence of any services rendered in return.

On Wednesday, the ED carried out searches at 12 locations in the state, including the homes of his daughter and son-in-law, former minister PA Muhammad Riyas, in Kozhikode. Offices linked to Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited were also raided.

Exalogic Solutions had entered into a contract with the CMRL in 2017 for providing software and marketing services, The Wire reported.

#WATCH | Keralam: Commotion outside the residence of former Chief Minister and present LoP Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram, as CPI(M) workers attacked a vehicle...

Read more