ED raid draws blank at Pinarayi Vijayan’s home; protesters heckle officials in Kannur

KANNUR: A five-and-a-half-hour flash raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at 'Pravik', the residence of Pinarayi Vijayan in Pandyalamukku, concluded on Wednesday with officials failing to recover any incriminating evidence. According to the national agency, the search—linked to the ongoing monthly pay-off case—yielded no suspicious documents or digital devices.

The operation, executed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), was carried out amid high-voltage protests by Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers, which briefly gridlocked the area and required senior party leadership to intervene to ensure the safe exit of the central officials.

The raid team arrived at the locked premises at 7:50 AM following an authorisation order issued by S. Simi, Deputy Director of the ED Kochi Zonal Office. The raid was spearheaded by Prashant Saubhari, Assistant Director of the Kozhikode Sub-Zonal Office, who was accompanied by Assistant Enforcement Officers Chirag Yadav and Tarun Kumar Bachar, alongside a six-member RPF security detail.

As the residence was locked upon arrival, CPI(M) Pinarayi Local Secretary C. Nandanan coordinated with the property’s caretaker, Nanu, to open the house. The search officially commenced at 8:30 AM.

According to the official mahazar (seizure memo) prepared by the agency, a thorough inspection of the two-story main building and the adjacent servant quarters yielded no recoverable digital or physical evidence. The agency recorded a formal statement from the caretaker, Nanu, before concluding the search at 2:50 PM. C. Sheeba, Branch Manager, and Abhishek Nimbalkar, Assistant Manager of the State Bank of India’s Kozhikode branch, signed the document as independent official witnesses.

As news of the sudden raid spread, hundreds of CPI(M) workers gathered outside the residence, triggering a volatile standoff. A heavy police contingent, led by Kannur City Police Commissioner P. Nithin Raj, was deployed to maintain law and order.

The demonstration escalated into a blockade, temporarily trapping the central officials inside the compound. Protesters heckled the ED team and hurled a plastic bag filled with waste, which inadvertently struck an on-duty police officer.

The situation was defused after senior CPI(M) leaders, including District Secretary K.K. Ragesh and Member of Parliament V. Sivadasan, intervened to pacify the crowd and carve out a safe passage for the ED vehicles. Following the raid, a massive protest march was staged in the region, led by prominent party figures including K.K. Shailaja, P. Jayarajan, M.V. Jayarajan, and E.P. Jayarajan, condemning the central agency's actions.