Kannur (Keralam) | Leader of Opposition in the Keralam Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday termed the ED's latest allegations against him in the CMRL case as "old allegations in a new script" and alleged that the agency was attempting to turn the law into a political weapon.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently sent a letter to State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar seeking registration of an FIR against Vijayan, a former Chief Minister and his family based on evidence gathered during its probe and searches conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The agency has alleged that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) made fraudulent payments of Rs 2.78 crore to the now-defunct company of Vijayan's daughter, Veena T, Exalogic Solutions, under the guise of "IT consultancy services." Speaking to reporters here, the veteran Marxist leader said a major change had now occurred in the nature of the allegation raised by the ED.
He said the earlier allegation was that CMRL had suffered a financial loss because Exalogic received money without providing services and that investigations and raids were conducted on that basis.
"What the ED is saying now is something entirely different from this. What the ED is now saying is that the money received by Exalogic was not remuneration for services, but that while I was the chief minister, I granted undue favours to CMRL, and this money was a bribe for that," he said.
He said the ED must first answer this "fundamental contradiction" before proceeding with the bribery allegation.
"I would like to make one thing clear here without any ambiguity--during my tenure as chief minister, no undue favour was granted to CMRL. Without any room for doubt, no document proving that such a favour was granted has ever been produced anywhere to date," Vijayan said.
The allegation that Exalogic received money as remuneration for granting undue favours to CMRL was not new and had been raised in 2024, when cases were filed before Vigilance court. He said the Vigilance court examined all allegations and passed its decision after finding that the complainant had failed to produce specific facts and documents.
Vijayan said the matter subsequently reached the Kerala High Court, which in March, 2025 dismissed the petitions, holding that the allegations did not establish facts sufficient to register a case.
He said the High Court had also observed that initiating a criminal investigation against a public servant purely on the basis of suspicion could have serious repercussions on the person's dignity and public life.
The matter was later taken to the Supreme Court, which also refused to interfere with the HC order, he said.
"This is not a new case. It is a new script for old allegations. That is what the ED is doing now. They are attempting to create a new political interpretation for allegations that had surfaced earlier and were examined in detail by the courts," he said.
Vijayan said the form of the allegation had repeatedly changed, but the fundamental question remained unanswered -what out-of-turn favour had he extended to CMRL as CM.
"If an offense is to be alleged, the facts of that offense must first be shown. As the chief minister, what favour did I grant? When was it granted? Through whose order was it granted? Where is the documentary proof for it? What was received in return for it? No clear answer is being provided for any of this," he claimed.
He said that repeating the word 'bribe' without providing answers to such matters is neither an investigation nor a legal procedure.
"Repeatedly framing allegations politically that do not stand in a court of law is not the normal application of the law. It is an attempt to turn the law into a political weapon," Vijayan alleged.
He said the latest move appeared to be part of an attempt to extend the ED's investigation to him.
Vijayan said the ED had earlier moved to take action based on the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) report against CMRL, and that the Delhi High Court was currently considering the report's legal validity.
Vijayan also raised a political question over the Congress's position on the alleged use of central agencies against political opponents.
"When the very same political weapon is used in Kerala, what stance is the Congress taking here?" he asked.
Vijayan said the latest moves would be faced politically and legally.
"The intention, after all, is to make me an accused. To make someone an accused, a political script will not suffice. Proof is required. Legally sustainable evidence is required." He said he did not view the latest action as a personal attack, but as an organised assault aimed at destroying CPI(M).
Vijayan alleged that central investigation agencies were functioning as "political weapons of the Sangh Parivar" and that destroying the CPI(M), which upheld secular politics, was part of the Sangh Parivar's political agenda.
He said the CPI(M) had faced and overcome similar attacks in the past and would not be deterred by what he described as "blank shots".
