ED Raids Pinarayi Vijayan's House Over Alleged Illegal Payments to Daughter's Firm

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches at properties linked to former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as part of an ongoing money-laundering investigation. Officials raided multiple locations across Kerala, including Vijayan’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram and another property linked to him in Kannur. The searches began early in the morning under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and are connected to allegations involving financial transactions tied to a private company and a firm owned by Vijayan’s daughter.

According to reports, investigators are examining digital devices, financial documents, and transaction records related to alleged payments made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd. (CMRL) to Exalogic Solutions, a company linked to Vijayan’s daughter, T. Veena. Authorities suspect that CMRL paid nearly Rs 1.72 crore to the IT firm between 2018 and 2019 despite allegedly receiving no services in return. The Enforcement Directorate registered the money-laundering case in 2024 following earlier findings by the Income Tax Department.

The controversy traces back to a 2019 income tax raid on CMRL, during which officials reportedly detected irregularities amounting to over Rs 132 crore through inflated expenditure claims. Investigators are now attempting to determine whether the transactions involving Exalogic Solutions formed part of a broader financial misconduct or laundering operation. The case has drawn significant political attention in Kerala due to Vijayan’s stature as one of the state’s most influential political leaders and the long-serving face of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the state.

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Neither Vijayan nor his family members had issued a detailed public response immediately after the raids. The searches, however, are expected to intensify political confrontation between the ruling Left parties and opposition groups in Kerala, which have repeatedly demanded accountability over the allegations. The Enforcement Directorate has not yet disclosed whether any seizures were made during the raids, but officials indicated that the investigation into the alleged financial transactions remains ongoing.

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