Fresh ED Summons Directs Veena Vijayan to Appear on June 17 in CMRL Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its probe into the alleged financial dealings between Exalogic Solutions Pvt Ltd , a company owned by Veena Vijayan , and Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) , issuing a fresh summons to the former Kerala Chief Minister's daughter for questioning on June 17.

Veena Vijayan, daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan , was originally asked to appear before the agency on June 12. However, she sought a deferment citing health reasons. The ED has now directed her to appear at its Kochi office as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation being conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) .

The investigation centres on allegations that CMRL, a Kerala-based mineral sands company, paid approximately ₹2.78 crore to Exalogic Solutions for IT consultancy services. Investigators are examining whether the payments were linked to genuine business services or formed part of a questionable financial arrangement. The ED is also probing a separate ₹50 lakh loan extended to Exalogic by Empower India Capital Investment Private Limited , another company associated with CMRL Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha .

The case has its roots in a wider corporate fraud investigation involving CMRL. The company came under scrutiny following an Income Tax Department raid in 2019 , which allegedly uncovered fake expenditure entries exceeding ₹130 crore . According to court records, CMRL inflated expenses by booking bogus transportation and sludge-handling costs between the financial years 2012-13 and 2018-19 , allegedly generating unaccounted cash for various payments.

Investigators have claimed that company officials acknowledged before tax authorities that such cash transactions were undertaken to ensure smooth business operations amid regulatory and environmental challenges. The findings later prompted a detailed investigation by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) , the Ministry of Corporate Affairs' specialised agency for probing major corporate frauds.

Following its investigation, the SFIO filed a prosecution complaint before a special court in Ernakulam in April 2025. The agency alleged that CMRL created fictitious cash expenses worth nearly ₹182 crore over a 15-year period and paid around ₹91 crore towards transportation services to companies linked to the Kartha family. The SFIO's findings also questioned payments made to Exalogic Solutions, laying the foundation for the ED's money laundering probe.

The ED recently carried out searches at premises linked to Veena Vijayan and other individuals connected to the case. The agency has also summoned CMRL officials and several others for questioning as it seeks to trace the flow of funds and determine whether any "proceeds of crime" were generated through the transactions.

The case has attracted considerable political attention in Kerala due to Veena Vijayan's familial ties to Pinarayi Vijayan. However, the allegations remain under investigation, and no court has established criminal liability against Veena, Exalogic Solutions, CMRL, or any of the individuals named in the probe.