'Veena was merely an intermediary, received money on behalf of Pinarayi'; Shone George raises allegation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP leader Shone George has alleged that Veena Vijayan, daughter of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, acted merely as an intermediary in the CMRL monthly payoff case. According to Shone George, the funds received by Veena were allegedly meant as bribes for Pinarayi Vijayan during his tenure as Chief Minister.

Shone George, who is also one of the complainants in the case, claimed that the payments were made in exchange for assistance allegedly provided to Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd. (CMRL) in carrying out mineral sand mining activities along Kerala's coastline. He alleged that such assistance was extended during and even before Pinarayi Vijayan's tenure as Chief Minister.

Referring to the recent High Court verdict in the matter, Shone George said all obstacles that had prevented the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from proceeding further with the investigation had now been removed. He added that while legal hurdles could be created within the judicial system, the High Court's decision demonstrated that the rule of law could not ultimately be influenced or controlled.

Shone George also called for a comprehensive probe into the alleged corruption linked to the case. He said petitions had been filed before the High Court seeking investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Department of Atomic Energy, and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He said that the proposed investigation should examine how the allegedly smuggled mineral sand was utilised, assess the financial losses suffered by the state government, and identify measures to recover those losses.