Court orders police to file FIR against Pinarayi Vijayan in bribery case

The Kerala High Court on Friday allowed a plea seeking the registration of an FIR against former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter and her husband in connection to a bribery case linked to the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) mining company, based on a report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).The court has also directed the registration of an FIR against Vijayan’s daughter, Veena T, and her husband, PA Mohamed Riyas, a former minister.Justice A Badharudeen allowed a plea filed by advocate KM Shajahan, who argued that the police should register an FIR instead of conducting a preliminary inquiry into the allegations outlined in the ED report.In its report, the probe agency claimed that the Kerala-based mining firm made fraudulent payments totalling Rs 2.78 crore to Veena T's now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, under the guise of providing “IT consultancy services”. In June, the ED raided the rented accommodation in Thiruvananthapuram where Veena was living with Vijayan and later questioned her.In a statement issued in August, the agency said it had seized certain “handwritten” notes during searches linked to Veena which contained details of certain fund transfers to Dubai. Riyas, a former Tourism Minister, had said that he and his party would contest the ED case through political and legal means, including the searches conducted at their homes and at the businesses of people linked to them.Last month, he rejected the bribery allegations, calling them fabricated and intended to defame him. He said he would fight the matter legally.He also denied reports that Veena had admitted to the allegations before the ED, describing them as “blatant lies”.“Let those who enjoy feeding on the flesh of living people and relish such absurdities leaked in the name of an ED investigation continue their game. I will fight it legally,” Riyas said.- Ends