Kerala CM Satheesan Condemns Attack on ED Officials During Pinarayi Vijayan Property Search
Kerala CM condemns attack on ED personnel who were conducting searches linked to the CMRL money laundering case.
Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Friday strongly condemned the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials’ vehicles during a search operation linked to the ongoing CMRL money laundering investigation. The incident reportedly occurred when ED teams were conducting searches at multiple locations, including properties associated with former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as part of a wider probe into alleged financial irregularities involving transactions connected to a sand mining company.
The ED action, carried out earlier in the week, included searches at around 10 locations across Kerala, including Vijayan’s residence in Kannur and a rented apartment in Thiruvananthapuram. The investigation is part of a money laundering case involving allegations linked to financial dealings between a mining company and a business associated with Veena T, daughter of Pinarayi Vijayan. The raids were conducted by the central agency as part of an ongoing inquiry into the case registered previously.
Reacting to the incident involving damage to ED vehicles, CM Satheesan stated that any attack on investigating officers would be treated as a serious law and order violation. He said the state government would not tolerate such actions and emphasized that strict measures would be taken against those responsible. He underlined that maintaining law and order remains the responsibility of the state, and any disruption of official investigations would invite strong action.
The chief minister further clarified that the ED searches were conducted as part of a central investigation and that the state government had no direct role in the operation. He stated that neither the state police nor the government had been formally informed in advance about the searches. According to him, the investigation was initiated by central agencies years ago and continued independently of the state administration.
Satheesan also noted that allegations involving financial transactions between a mining company and a private business had been previously raised by opposition parties and were now part of the ED’s ongoing scrutiny. He added that the inquiry had been pending for several years and that questions around its timing and progress had been raised in political discussions, including by the opposition Congress-led UDF.
The incident has added political tension in Kerala amid the high-profile investigation, with the ED continuing its probe into alleged money laundering connections. While authorities focus on the case details, the state government has reiterated its stance that while investigations must proceed without interference, law and order violations during such operations will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
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