Enforcement Directorate prepares to question Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan over CMRL‑Exalogic payments

The Enforcement Directorate’s Kochi office has apparently put together a report that could see former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan called in for questioning. The document, submitted to the ED’s adjudicating authority in New Delhi, centres on the long‑running CMRL‑Exalogic financial‑transactions case.

According to the report, CMRL Managing Director S.N. Sasidharan Kartha told investigators on 17 April 2024 that payments were made to Exalogic and its director T Veena because of a personal relationship with Vijayan. Kartha allegedly said the money moved even though no genuine ERP services were delivered.

The ED claims Veena herself admitted receiving about ₹2.78 crore labelled as IT‑consultancy fees, despite there being no such work. The agency says it will lean heavily on Kartha’s statement when it questions Vijayan.

Earlier, ED Special Director Prashant Kumar visited Kochi and a discussion was held about summoning Vijayan. It was decided that approval from ED Director Rahul Navin was required – and that nod has reportedly been obtained.

The investigation also points to findings of the Income‑Tax Department dated 25 January 2019, which highlighted that CMRL had paid ₹1.72 crore to Exalogic for phantom IT‑consultancy services. In total, the ED alleges ₹2.78 crore flowed to Veena and her firm under various agreements.

When confronted with reports of Kartha’s alleged remarks, Vijayan brushed them off as a “media creation”. He questioned who leaked the statement and demanded any documents to be produced, saying, “Just because something appears in the media doesn’t make it true.”

The case continues to attract attention, with the ED now in the final stages of attaching assets linked to Veena Vijayan, while political observers watch how the questioning of a senior leader might reshape Kerala’s political landscape.