Kuzhalnadan vows to persist in battle against alleged corruption by Pinarayi and daughter

Thiruvananthapuram, May 7 (PTI) Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on Tuesday said he will continue his fight against alleged corruption in the financial transactions between a private mining company and the now-defunct IT firm of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter, T Veena.

His statement came a day after a vigilance court rejected his plea for an investigation against Vijayan over the financial transactions between the private mining company, CMRL, and Veena's IT firm.

Meanwhile, LDF convener E P Jayarajan claimed that Kuzhalnadan's allegations against the CM and the plea in court were aimed at outshining Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan.

Jayarajan said Kuzhalnadan's efforts have become futile due to the court order and demanded his resignation.

The Congress MLA said while he was disappointed by the court's decision, his confidence was unaffected and he will move forward with his fight by filing an appeal against the order.

He said this was not a plea for punishing the CM, rather it was a petition seeking a probe into the alleged corruption by the Marxist veteran.

The Muvattupuzha MLA contended that following the court order he was crucified for his fight against corruption.

"Ever since I began this fight, I have been facing several investigations, a vigilance case, a stop memo against repair works at my ancestral home and probes in connection with my properties," he said.

Kuzhalnadan said that he had not alleged that Vijayan received money from the mining company, as the purported diary entries regarding that cannot be used as evidence according to Supreme Court rulings.

"So, I based my case on the money received by Veena T and her company as no one can deny that and no one has denied that. That transaction was carried out through proper banking channels," he said.

The vigilance court on Monday rejected Kuzhalnadan's plea saying that necessary facts constituting corruption were absent in it.

Kuzhalnadan had initially approached the Special Vigilance Court here, saying the Vigilance Department refused to probe the financial transactions between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) and Veena's company, Exalogic.

Later, he changed his stance and sought a court-monitored probe into the alleged financial transactions.

"Even if the facts stated in the complaint are accepted on face value, they do not constitute the offence alleged. Of course, there are allegations of corruption which have sprouted from certain suspicions and doubts entertained by the complainant. But allegations of such doubts and suspicions are not factual allegations constituting the offence," the court had observed.

The Congress has been targeting the Chief Minister, his daughter, and CPI(M) over the allegations after a Malayalam daily reported that the CMRL had paid a total of Rs 1.72 crore to the CM's daughter between 2017 and 2020.

The report cited the ruling of an interim board for settlement and said that CMRL previously had an agreement with Veena's IT firm for consulting and software support services.

It was also alleged that though no service was rendered by her firm, the amount was paid on a monthly basis "due to her relationship with a prominent person." PTI