CMRL case: ED tightens noose around Pinarayi Vijayan, Veena

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Kochi, July 25 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) money laundering probe into the CMRL–Exalogic monthly payment case has entered a decisive phase, with former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter Veena T facing mounting legal pressure following crucial statements made by CMRL Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha.

The ED is preparing to take the investigation to its next stage, with indications that Veena could soon be arraigned as an accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Investigators are also expected to summon Pinarayi Vijayan for questioning as they examine the circumstances under which CMRL allegedly made payments to Veena’s IT firm, Exalogic Solutions.

The case has gathered momentum after Sasidharan Kartha reportedly told the ED that the contract was awarded to Exalogic solely because of his close relationship with then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the influence he wielded.

Kartha is also understood to have informed investigators that neither Veena nor Exalogic had rendered any services to CMRL despite receiving payments.

The statement, considered a key piece of evidence by the ED, was reportedly recorded during Kartha’s questioning at his residence in April 2024.

Investigators believe the testimony provides a crucial link in establishing that the payments were allegedly made without any corresponding services, significantly strengthening the agency’s money laundering case.

Based on these findings, the ED has initiated extensive attachment proceedings and submitted a detailed report before the Adjudicating Authority under the PMLA.

The agency has frozen deposits worth Rs 16.5 lakh belonging to Veena, including funds held in her personal name and through companies linked to her.

Another Rs 15.5 lakh has also been frozen.

Her bank locker has likewise been brought under attachment proceedings.

The investigation also revealed that Veena’s personal bank account contained only Rs 1.37 lakh, while Exalogic’s bank account had a balance of just Rs 27,585 at the time of verification.

Despite the relatively small balances, the ED believes the attachment of deposits and locker contents is essential to preserve evidence relating to the alleged proceeds of crime.

The agency has also frozen assets and financial investments worth Rs 26 crore belonging to Sasidharan Kartha and members of his family as part of the same investigation.

With Kartha’s statement forming the backbone of the ED’s case, investigators believe they now have a stronger legal basis to name Veena as an accused and to examine whether the payments made by CMRL were linked to any undue political influence.

Once the Adjudicating Authority clears the attachment proceedings, the ED is expected to intensify the probe, with notices for further questioning likely to be issued in the coming days, including to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

All along, the CPI-M and Vijayan have flatly denied any wrongdoing, and now, in the coming weeks, things will become clearer, and all eyes are on the ED.

Shaun George, the state BJP vice president and petitioner, said things are very clear now and he was sure that a big crime has been committed.

Meanwhile, former Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, husband of Veena, also a CPI-M legislator, reacting to the news of the ED developments, said he is not aware of anything and is unable to comment.

–IANS

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SIR in Assam only after official NRC notification: CM Sarma

Guwahati, Nov 18 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Tuesday that a comprehensive Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls is contingent upon the official notification of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a process he anticipates will be finalised by the middle of next year.

The Chief Minister’s remarks clarify the procedural holdup in undertaking a thorough cleanse of the voter list, a move deemed necessary to address persistent inaccuracies.

He explained that the current electoral rolls are plagued by significant discrepancies that undermine their integrity.

Citing specific issues, Sarma pointed to the presence of names belonging to deceased individuals, minors ineligible to vote, and married women whose entries have not been updated to reflect changes in their surnames or addresses. These errors, he indicated, highlight the urgent need for a systematic revision.

“The NRC has not been notified yet,” Sarma said, outlining the prerequisite for the SIR. “Once that is done — hopefully by mid-next year — the Special Intensive Revision can finally take place in Assam.”

In the interim, the Chief Minister confirmed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the state machinery to conduct a Special Summary Revision. This measure is intended as a corrective step to identify and rectify the existing anomalies in the voter list ahead of the more extensive NRC-linked exercise.

The announcement underscores the state government’s ongoing efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of Assam’s electoral database.

The Election Commission of India on Monday announced that Assam will undergo a Special Revision of its electoral rolls, an exercise that will culminate in the publication of the final voters’ list on February 10, 2026.

The decision comes at a time when the state is moving toward the 2026 Assembly elections, and the accuracy of the electoral roll remains central to political discourse in Assam.

According to officials, the process ordered for Assam is neither a routine annual summary revision nor as exhaustive as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted recently in several other states.

It sits “somewhere in between,” with the Election Commission opting for a more targeted and improved verification mechanism.

Instead of using blank enumeration forms, booth-level officers will work with pre-filled registers to confirm, correct or update voter details, which the Commission believes will reduce errors and speed up verification.

–IANS

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Family of sailor killed in US attack on vessel off Oman demands justice

Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh), June 11 (IANS) The family of one of the three Indian sailors, who were declared dead after the US forces attacked a vessel off the coast of Oman earlier this week, demanded an enquiry into the incident and appealed that the victim’s mortal remains be brought home at the earliest.

The killing of Indian seafarers, who were initially reported missing, was confirmed by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, who called it a “profound loss for India’s maritime community”.

One of the victims was identified as Aditya Sharma, a resident of Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur.

Talking to reporters, his uncle said: “He was my nephew, just 22-23 years old. We had brought him up with so many dreams.”

Recounting how the family came to know about the tragic news, he said: “Last night, at around 9 p.m., my brother received a phone call informing him that he was missing. As soon as I got the information, I left everything and rushed straight to Jalandhar, where my brother was staying.”

“The whole night, we tried to coordinate with the company’s people. They did cooperate, but were not telling us anything except that he was missing. He was working on the deck. He was still on probation and had completed around six months of service,” he said.

He noted that Aditya was about to come home on May 24, but had extended his work for a month.

“Upon reaching Jalandhar, we were seeking details, during which at about 1.30-2 p.m., his name was declared among the dead,” he said.

“Now, though, we have returned home, we are making every possible effort to ensure that we receive the mortal remains of our son at the earliest so that we are able to carry out his last rites,” Aditya’s uncle said.

Further, he said: “The family wants to know what Aditya was doing at the spot where the missile landed, that too at 10-10:.30 pm? Also, we need information on whether he was provided help or not.”

The sailor’s grandfather added: “If the ship’s captain was warned not to take the vessel ahead, how could he ignore the warning? We want to know this.”

“I would request (Hamirpur) MP Anurag Thakur and the Central government to conduct a proper enquiry and punish the culprits,” he told media persons.

–IANS

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Praise security personnel who prevented major tragedy: Giriraj Singh on P. Chidambaram’s remark on home-grown terrorists

New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) Responding to Congress leader and former Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s recent comment that the government knows there are “home-grown terrorists,” BJP MP Giriraj Singh on Thursday accused the leader of appearing to sympathise with terrorists and asked him to praise the security personnel who managed to prevent a major tragedy.

Speaking to IANS, Giriraj Singh claimed, “I would like to remind P. Chidambaram, who himself has served as Home Minister and is known to be a learned man, that instead of praising terrorists, he should praise the security personnel who successfully prevented such a major tragedy.”

“He should also remember that from Pandit Nehru to Dr Manmohan Singh, the policy of appeasement and protection for terrorists continued,” he alleged.

“Whose photo surfaced with Yasin Malik? Who was he? Has he ever thought about that? He should speak in national interest,” Singh said.

Chidambaram’s comment came in a post on X. Although he did not directly refer to the Delhi blast, which claimed 12 lives and injured 20 people, he questioned why and under what circumstances Indian citizens are turning into terrorists.

He had said in his post, “I have maintained before and after the Pahalgam terror attack that there are two kinds of terrorists — foreign-trained infiltrated terrorists and home-grown terrorists. I said so in Parliament during the debate on ‘Operation Sindoor’. I was mocked and trolled for referring to home-grown terrorists.”

Giriraj Singh also reacted to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s recent claims of electoral fraud.

He said, “I have always said that the Election Commission’s team deserves to be congratulated. Despite all your attempts to spread confusion, not a single re-poll was ordered in the Bihar elections. You did not submit any suggestions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). So, spreading confusion will not help. Every time you lose, you blame the ECI or the EVMs, but when you win, you praise Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav. This double standard will no longer work in the country.”

Giriraj Singh further took a jibe at RJD leader and the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate, who announced that he would soon take oath as Chief Minister.

He said, “I think only someone who has returned from Agra or Ranchi could make such an announcement without the certificate of the Election Commission of India.”

–IANS

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