India's Enforcement Directorate widens CMRL probe, ties to ex-chief minister's family

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out coordinated searches on May 27 at ten locations in Kerala and Bengaluru linked to Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL). The operation, part of a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, uncovered alleged fictitious expenses of about Rs 182 crore over 15 years and suspected bribe payments through Exalogic Solutions, a firm owned by Veena T, daughter of former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The ED seized digital devices, financial records and froze roughly Rs 18.36 crore across 242 bank accounts, though the account holders were not disclosed.

Following the searches, a crowd of around 300 people surrounded the convoy of ED, CRPF and Kerala police vehicles leaving Vijayan's residence and attacked them with stones, bricks and rods, injuring a driver and damaging the vehicles. A Thiruvananthapuram magistrate denied bail to five accused in the assault, noting the seriousness of the attack on central investigators. The ED has indicated that the May 27 raids are only the beginning of a broader investigation and expects more individuals to come under scrutiny in the coming days.