Pinarayi Vijayan Calls ED Claims on CMRL Payments ‘Media Creation’

Kerala Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan has rejected an Enforcement Directorate (ED) report concerning alleged payments made by Kochi-based Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) to his daughter Veena Vijayan and her now-defunct firm, Exalogic Solutions, dismissing the allegations as a “media creation.”

Responding to reporters at a press conference on Saturday, Vijayan questioned whether allegations become true merely because they are reported in the media. He said the claims were part of repeated attempts to target him and added that he had faced similar allegations in the past.

The ED, in a report submitted before the Adjudicating Authority in a money laundering case involving CMRL, reportedly stated that the company's founder and former managing director S N Sasidharan Kartha admitted making payments to Veena and Exalogic because of her personal relationship with Vijayan, who was then the Kerala Chief Minister.

The agency has alleged that ₹2.78 crore was paid to Exalogic under the guise of software and IT consultancy services despite no services being rendered. According to the ED, statements recorded during the investigation indicated that there were no tangible deliverables provided to CMRL in return for the payments.

Reacting to the developments, BJP MLA V Muraleedharan demanded that Vijayan clarify whether any favours were extended to Kartha in connection with the payments allegedly received by his daughter. He also called for a comprehensive investigation into whether similar payments were made without services being provided.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan said the ED report vindicated his earlier allegations regarding the payments. He criticised CPI(M) leaders who had previously dismissed his claims and demanded that they now respond to the people of Kerala.

The ED has questioned Veena Vijayan and CMRL board members several times as part of its investigation. The case was registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following a prosecution complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) before a court in Kochi.