Daijiworld Media Network – Kochi
Kochi, Jun 17: Veena T, daughter of former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kochi on Wednesday for questioning in connection with a money laundering investigation involving her now-defunct IT firm, Exalogic Solutions Private Ltd, and mining company Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL).
Veena reached the ED office at around 10.30 am following fresh summons issued by the agency. Security was tightened outside the office, with a heavy police presence deployed during her appearance.
The ED had earlier directed her to appear before its Kochi unit on June 12, but she reportedly sought an exemption citing health reasons.
Officials asked Veena to produce documents related to financial transactions involving Exalogic Solutions as part of the ongoing probe.
The agency has intensified its investigation in recent days. On Tuesday, ED officials questioned the son and wife of CMRL founder and Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha. Earlier, on Monday, Kartha's daughter was also questioned in connection with the case.
The probe centres on allegations that CMRL paid Rs 2.78 crore to Exalogic Solutions without receiving any services in return.
According to the ED, another company linked to Kartha — Empower India Capital Investments Private Limited (EICPL) — had extended loans worth Rs 50 lakh to Exalogic despite the firm allegedly defaulting on timely repayments.
The agency has alleged that Veena and CMRL's management generated "proceeds of crime" through these transactions.
The money laundering case was registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a prosecution complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) before a court in Ernakulam in April 2025.
The SFIO, which functions under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, had investigated the matter before referring it for further action.
CMRL had earlier come under the scrutiny of central agencies following an Income Tax Department raid in January 2019. The raid reportedly uncovered alleged financial irregularities, including suspected fictitious expenditure amounting to around Rs 130 crore.
Further investigation into the alleged transactions and financial dealings is underway.