Ex-Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Moves Supreme Court Against Kerala HC Direction For FIR In CMRL-Exalogic Case
LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK
16 Oct 2026 10:21 AM IST
Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Kerala High Court's direction to register FIR in the CMRL-Exalogic payoff case on the basis of the information supplied to the Kerala Police by the Directorate of Enforcement.
A single bench of the High Court, acting on a writ petition filed by one KM Shajahan, had directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to register an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The allegations are against the CPI(M) leader, his daughter Veena T and son-in-law Mohammed Riyaz. Disapproving of the approach taken by the State to direct a preliminary enquiry into the matter, the single bench held that once the ED has furnished information under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, a preliminary enquiry was not warranted
A division bench of the High Court yesterday refused to entertain the appeal filed by Vijayan, Veena T and Riyaz.
The allegation in the ED case is that from 2017 to 2020, CMRL (Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd.), a public company, made monthly payments totalling ₹1.72 crores to Exalogic Solutions Pvt. Ltd., associated with Veena T, without any actual services being rendered.
Earlier this year, the plea preferred by the accused CMRL officials to quash the ED case was dismissed by the Single Bench as well as the Division Bench.
On August 19, the ED issued a press release stating that it had collected evidence regarding hawala transactions to the tune of crores in the case and thereby, offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act have also been committed by the accused persons.
On September 7, the ED sent a letter to the Kerala Director General of Police to register an FIR under the PC Act against Pinarayi, Veena and Riyas. However, the Home Secretary issued an order to the State Police Chief to entrust the case to Crime Branch and to constitute a Special Investigation Team for preliminary enquiry and accordingly, an order was passed by the Police Chief, it is stated.
