The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesaday conducted searches at 10 premises in Keralam, including the residences of former Chief Minister and present LoP Pinarayi Vijayan, in Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) case, as per a report in PTI
Officials told the news agency that a total of 10 premsies in the state, including Vijayan's rental house in the state capital in Thiruvananthapuram, are being raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
It is alleged that a private company named Cochin Minerals And Rutile Ltd (CMRL), made an illegal payment of Rs 1.72 crore to Vijayan's daughter T Veena's company -- Exalogic Solutions -- during 2018 to 2019, even though the IT firm had not provided any service to the company.
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by the CMRL seeking to quash the ED proceedings in the case. The ED had filed a PMLA case to probe the allegations in 2024.
What Is CMRL case
The CMRL controversy began in August 2023 following allegations that T Veena's firm, Exalogic, received Rs 1.72 crore from CMRL between 2017 and 2020 without providing any actual services. This prompted the Centre to order a probe by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).
Following these revelations, the central government tasked the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) with conducting a comprehensive inquiry. The SFIO ultimately filed a 160-page prosecution complaint, alleging that Exalogic actually received Rs 2.70 crore. The complaint indicted Veena, CMRL Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha, and 25 other individuals, as well as corporate entities including CMRL, Exalogic Solutions, and Empower India Capital Investments.
The case escalated in April 2025 when the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs officially sanctioned the prosecution of T Veena. She now faces charges under Section 447 of the Companies Act, 2013. If found guilty of corporate fraud, she could be sentenced to between six months and 10 years in prison, in addition to facing a fine of up to three times the illicit amount.
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