The Enforcement Directorate (ED), probing the money-laundering case involving former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena T, will summon her for further questioning. The ED sources have confirmed that Veena's phone was seized during the inspection held on Wednesday in Thiruvananthapuram.
The CMRL-Exalogic case is a major political and financial scandal centring on alleged illegal payoffs made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) to Exalogic Solutions, an IT firm owned by T. Veena.
A notice will be issued to Veena to appear for questioning without delay, and there will also be an inspection of property details, according to Manorama Online. ED sources indicated that this will not be too late.
The public protests following raids conducted on the locations linked to Veena, including her father’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, had descended into chaos, with ED officials coming under attack from the mob. Following yesterday's inspection, the ED had frozen Rs 18.36 crore in 242 accounts, including that of Veena.
The examination of Veena’s digital devices will likely be carried out in her presence before being sent for forensic examination.
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Reports hint that the ED’s initial strategy was to question Veena only after the CMRL officials. However, the violence has prompted the ED to change its strategy in the wake of massive protests and violence during the raid. The current decision is to immediately issue a summons to Veena and take strict action if she does not appear.
If Veena goes to court against the summons, the ED will likely inform the court that she could not record her statement properly due to severe protests. In this context, the ED argues that it is necessary to summon her to the office for questioning. Therefore, the violence in Thiruvananthapuram is sure to be a big setback for Veena Vijayan legally and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan politically.