Pinarayi Vijayan, Muhammad Riyas named first accused in two CMRL-related FIRs

Kochi: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on Monday registered two FIRs against former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family members in connection with the alleged CMRL bribery case, sources said.

The FIRs were registered by the VACB's Special Investigation Unit-1 following legal advice and a Kerala High Court directive to register a case based on a report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the state police.

Vijayan, who is now the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, has been named as the first accused in the case concerning alleged payments made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) to his daughter, Veena T. In the second case, MLA P A Muhammad Riyas, Vijayan's son-in-law, has been named as the first accused, sources said.

According to sources, the two FIRs concern separate allegations detailed in the ED report. These include payments allegedly made by CMRL to Veena's now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, and the alleged transfer of money abroad through hawala channels in connection with payments involving Riyas.

The FIRs have been registered under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, officials said.

The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the state government to register a case based on the ED report, which alleged the involvement of Vijayan, Veena and Riyas in payments made by CMRL.

The ED had sought the registration of a case based on evidence gathered during its investigation and searches conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The agency has alleged that CMRL made fraudulent payments of Rs 2.78 crore to Exalogic Solutions under the guise of IT consultancy services.