ED to issue notice to Veena Vijayan in monthly payoff case before Friday, likely to be grilled before election

KOCHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is in a move to immediately grill Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan in the monthly payoff case. The ED centers hint that the notice for this will be sent before this Friday when the Lok Sabha elections are held in Kerala.

It is hinted that the ED has come to the conclusion that Veena Vijayan needs to be grilled to clarify the matter after receiving more information about the payment to Veena Vijayan and her company ExaLogic Software from interrogating Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) MD Sasidharan Kartha and his employees. The investigation team is also assessing whether there are documents and evidence to prove that it was a black money transaction. The ED has found that CMRL has made transactions worth Rs 135 crore with various individuals and companies.

The ED will interrogate more in the monthly payoff case in coming days. This is based on the information received from the employees questioned.

The Income Tax Settlement Board found that CMRL had paid Rs 1 crore 72 lakhs to Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan and her software firm Exalogic, for non-existent services. Along with this, it has also been found that money was given to Veena as a loan. Following this, the ED registered a case.