Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials who raided the Thiruvananthapuram residence of Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan were attacked, allegedly by CPI(M) workers on Wednesday, May 27.
Tension gripped the former Kerala chief minister’s rented residence in Thiruvananthapuram as a large number of CPI(M) workers gathered outside and staged protests against the central agency’s action. The protest later turned violent as party workers allegedly blocked the vehicles carrying ED officials and hurled stones, eggs, and bricks at them.
The windshield of an ED vehicle was shattered in the attack. Visuals also showed sticks being used to damage the vehicles as central security personnel and Kerala police struggled to control the agitated crowd. Women officials were also present in the convoy that was attacked.
The ED team had completed a seven-hour-long raid at Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence before the incident occurred. Senior CPI(M) leaders, including party state secretary MV Govindan, were present in the area during the protest. CPI(M) workers had staged a sit-in protest in front of the residence condemning the ED searches.
Speaking to the media, Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The ED has wanted to raid my house for a long time now. The Congress has taken a stand that everyone except its own leaders should be targeted by the ED. But these actions will not finish us. This is only the beginning. Do not think that we can be destroyed through such actions.”
He also said that today, it was proven that he has the full support of his party workers and the party.
The raids were part of an ongoing probe into alleged financial transactions between Exalogic Solutions, the now-defunct IT firm owned by Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena T, and a company called Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited.
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday carried out searches at 12 locations across Kerala, including Vijayan’s residence in Kannur, his rented house in Thiruvananthapuram, the residence of his daughter and son-in-law and former minister PA Mohammed Riyas in Kozhikode, the residence of CMRL managing director Sasidharan Kartha, and the company’s office in Aluva.
Reports said ED officials also recorded the statement of Pinarayi Vijayan during the search proceedings.
In Delhi, the CPI(M) protest against ED raid at the residence of Pinarayi Vijayan was led by party's national General Secretary MA Baby.
During the protest, Delhi Police detained the demonstrators including senior leader Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau members Ashok Dhawale, Mariam Dhawale and Vijoo Krishnan, Central Committee members Vikram Singh, and Delhi State secretary Anurag Saxena. More than one hundred protesters were also detained.
Addressing the gathering, MA Baby strongly condemned the action carried out by the ED under the direction of the central government and stated that the raid on Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence was a politically motivated act of vendetta. He pointed out that courts have repeatedly observed that Pinarayi Vijayan has absolutely no connection with the Exalogic case, yet the political witch-hunt against him continues unabated. He is now being targeted even for being Veena’s father.
He further stated that such an action taking place immediately after Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi raises serious questions and appears to be a politically orchestrated drama. Several individuals whose names reportedly appeared in the CMRL diary continue to hold important positions in the state government. However, while ignoring all of them, the continuous targeting of Pinarayi Vijayan further exposes the political vendetta behind these actions.
He said that the party has no intention whatsoever of obstructing any investigation process. However, the blatant misuse of central agencies by the central government for political targeting cannot be accepted, a CPI(M) statement said. The party will mobilize people and organize strong protests across the country against the selective targeting of opposition leaders and the attacks on democratic rights.
The raids came a day after the Kerala High Court dismissed a petition filed by CMRL seeking to quash the ED probe. The court observed that no prior FIR was required for issuing summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to the case being investigated by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), Exalogic Solutions had received around Rs 1.72 crore from CMRL between 2015 and 2020 for IT and marketing consultancy services. However, the SFIO alleged that the payments were not for actual services rendered but were linked to settling a Rs 50 lakh liability owed by Exalogic to Empower India Capital Investments Pvt Ltd, a company owned by Sasidharan Kartha.
The ED probe is based on allegations of illegal financial transactions connected to these payments and their possible violation of provisions under the PMLA.
