How did Veena secure CMRL contract? ED to extend probe to Pinarayi Govt

Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to expand its ongoing investigation into the CMRL-Exalogic case to scrutinise the first Pinarayi Vijayan-led government. The central agency will investigate how Veena Vijayan managed to secure a contract with Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) and whether the firm received any undue favours from the state government during that tenure. The development comes as the ED flags persistent inconsistencies in Veena’s statements.

Veena, daughter of Pinarayi Vijayan—who is currently the Leader of the Opposition—has already been interrogated twice by the ED in connection with the case. Her latest questioning session on Thursday lasted for 9 hours. According to ED officials, huge discrepancies were found in her testimonies, prompting the agency to summons her for another round of questioning next week.

The primary focus of the ED's inquiry is to unravel how the agreement between CMRL and Exalogic was brokered, a question for which Veena has reportedly failed to provide a clear answer. Moreover, investigators noted a lack of clarity regarding how the ₹2.78 crore received from CMRL was utilised. By extending the probe to the first Pinarayi government, the ED aims to determine if CMRL received out-of-turn benefits from the administration and whether the lucrative contract was handed out as a quid pro quo.

In addition, the ED will thoroughly investigate Veena's asset details. The agency maintains that Exalogic provided no actual services to CMRL, meaning the payments were received for non-existent services. The probe will now focus heavily on establishing the true objective behind these financial transactions.