ED Issues Fresh Summons to Veena T in Money Laundering Case Probe
The Enforcement Directorate has issued a fresh notice to Veena T, daughter of former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, requiring her appearance on June 29. The summons is part of an ongoing money laundering probe involving her firm, Exalogic Solutions, and CMRL.
Highlights
- •ED issued a new summons to Veena T to appear on June 29 regarding a money laundering case.
- •The investigation involves alleged payments of Rs 2.78 crore from CMRL to Veena's firm, Exalogic Solutions.
- •Federal agencies are probing alleged proceeds of crime linked to fictitious services and unpaid loans.
- •The probe originated from a Serious Fraud Investigation Office complaint following an Income Tax search in 2019.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a fresh summons to Veena T, the daughter of the former Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, in connection with an ongoing money laundering case. Authorities have directed her to appear before the agency on June 29 for further questioning regarding transactions involving her former IT company.
This development follows a previous round of interrogation that took place on June 17, where Veena was questioned for over nine hours at the ED office in Kochi. The investigation is being conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). As part of the broader probe into these financial irregularities, officials also conducted an inspection of Veena's bank lockers in Thiruvananthapuram on June 19.
Details of the Money Laundering Investigation
The money laundering case centers on allegations involving Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL). Investigators allege that CMRL made payments totaling Rs 2.78 crore to Exalogic Solutions Pvt Ltd, a firm owned by Veena, despite the company allegedly providing no tangible services in return. Furthermore, federal agencies are examining an additional financial arrangement where Empower India Capital Investments Private Limited—operated by CMRL Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha—extended loans amounting to Rs 50 lakh to Exalogic, which reportedly remained unpaid.
According to federal investigators, these transactions between the entities are suspected to have generated illicit gains, defined as "proceeds of crime." The ED launched its formal inquiry based on a detailed complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), which operates under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, before an Ernakulam court in April 2025. The SFIO has previously accused both Exalogic and CMRL of establishing a questionable arrangement for payments without corresponding work.
Background and Regulatory Scrutiny
The legal focus on CMRL and related companies intensified following an extensive search operation conducted by the Income Tax Department in January 2019. During that action, officials allegedly uncovered significant financial irregularities within the mining firm, including suspected fictitious expenditures estimated at approximately Rs 130 crore. As the money laundering case continues to unfold, ED officials indicated that they required more information after carefully reviewing the statements provided by Veena and evidence gathered thus far. The agency has already recorded statements from four other individuals implicated in the matter to build a comprehensive picture of the alleged financial misconduct.
