ED files money-laundering case against Kerala CM's daughter, IT firm
The investigation focuses on alleged illicit payments from a private mineral firm to Veena Vijayan and her company.
The Enforcement Directorate, on Wednesday (March 27), initiated a money laundering investigation against Veena Vijayan, daughter of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, her IT company, and others. The case aims to examine purported illegal payments from a private mineral firm to Veena Vijayan and her company.
Sources said the agency had registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is expected to summon the people involved.
The ED case has been booked after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), an investigative arm of the Union corporate affairs ministry, they said.
The case stems from an Income Tax Department investigation that alleged that a private company called Cochin Minerals And Rutile Ltd (CMRL), made an illegal payment of Rs 1.72 crore to Veena's company-- Exalogic Solutions-- during 2018 to 2019, even though the IT firm had not provided any service to the company.
The Karnataka High Court had last month dismissed a plea filed by Exalogic Solutions against the probe initiated by the SFIO.
(With agency inputs)