[REVISION HISTORY]

Supreme Court stays CMRL-Exalogic probe against Vijayan

Updated 27 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-22 14:51 UTC → 2026-10-25 07:12 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating alleged fraudulent payments of Rs 2.78 crore made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) to Exalogic Solutions Private Limited, a now-defunct company formerly owned by Veena Vijayan, daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The agency alleges these transactions, disguised as payments for IT consultancy and marketing services, constitute money laundering. The investigation has faced significant legal and testimonial developments. K. S. Suresh Kumar, the Chief Financial Officer of Cochin Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), filed an affidavit seeking to withdraw a previous statement to the ED, alleging that investigators used “threats and coercion” to force him to link payments to Veena Vijayan’s influence. Meanwhile, Advocate General Jaju Babu advised the Kerala government that bribery and disproportionate asset charges against Vijayan and his family may hold ground under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Political reactions remain polarized. CPI(M) Kerala State Secretary MV Govindan dismissed the probe as a “fabricated” case, while the state government ordered the Director General of Police to investigate Hawala allegations raised by the ED. Other leaders, such as Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, defended political donations from CMRL officials as standard election funding rather than illegal gratification. Following a Kerala High Court order directing the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs), the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) initiated two separate cases. The first names Pinarayi Vijayan as the primary accused regarding payments to Exalogic, while the second names CPI(M) legislator P. A. Mohammed Riyas regarding alleged corruption money and hawala transfers. Veena Vijayan is named as the second accused in both. On October 19, the Supreme Court of India stayed the vigilance investigation against ~~Pinarayi~~ Vijayan, Veena T, and P. A. Mohammed Riyas for seven days. The court granted this interim relief to allow the petitioners to challenge a Kerala High Court order directing the registration of an FIR, while cautioning the ED against “exceeding its statutory jurisdiction.” Legal experts noted that while the investigation is temporarily paused, the FIR remains intact. The case has been sent back to the Kerala High Court to allow a division bench to hear all parties.

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