ED Director arrives in Kochi: Crucial meeting planned to assess monthly payment case

KOCHI: A meeting will be held in Kochi on Friday to discuss the next steps in the investigation into the mysterious money transactions of the CMRL company and the attack on the officials who inspected Veena Vijayan's house. The meeting will evaluate the verdict to be issued by the High Court on Friday.

The High Court Division Bench will issue an order on Friday in the appeal filed by CMRL against the single bench order allowing the ED investigation in the monthly payment case. The High Court had directed the ED not to take any action until the order is issued. The ED has made preparations for further action in the hope of a favourable verdict from the division bench. The meeting attended by the director aims to formulate immediate steps.

Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan's Exalogic company is not a party to the High Court case. The first action will be taken based on the order in the Rs 2.78 crore transaction between Exalogic and CMRL. There are indications that the timing of the steps, including issuing a notice and questioning Veena, will be decided.

The director will also assess the steps to be taken against CPM activists who attacked the vehicle of ED officials returning from a raid on Pinarayi Vijayan's house in Thiruvananthapuram. The ED's prosecution wing in the case will also attend the meeting. ED sources said that it will also decide whether to request a CBI investigation, if necessary.