Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has strongly denied that state authorities had any prior warning of the dawn raids carried out by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Exalogic-CMRL pay-off case.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Ramesh Chennithala confirmed that the central agency did not seek assistance from local law enforcement and instead relied on central forces to conduct the raids.

"Neither the Home Department nor the state police were given any indication that these searches were going to take place," Chennithala said, adding that he had personally verified the matter with both the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Home Secretary. "We have absolutely no information regarding this operation."

Earlier in the day, the ED launched searches across 10 locations in Kerala as part of its investigation into the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) case, including premises linked to former Kerala Chief Minister and Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan. The searches came a day after the Kerala High Court rejected a petition filed by CMRL seeking to halt the ED proceedings, clearing the way for the agency to pursue its investigation.

The agency's case, registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), alleges that CMRL transferred Rs 1.72 crore to Exalogic Solutions, a company owned by Vijayan’s daughter Veena, between 2017 and 2020 without receiving services in return. Search operations were also carried out at the Kozhikode residence of former minister P A Mohammed Riyas, Vijayan’s son-in-law and Veena’s husband.

The raids have ignited a fierce political row in the state, with the opposition CPM alleging a clandestine "deal" between the Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre. Critics pointed to the high-profile visit to New Delhi by newly sworn-in Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting the timing of the ED crackdown was politically coordinated.

However, Ramesh Chennithala vehemently dismissed the allegations, labelling the CPM’s narrative of a "Congress-BJP axis" as desperate and far-fetched.

"Chief Minister Satheesan’s visit to Delhi was purely to discuss Kerala’s urgent development needs and federal requirements. It was a standard administrative procedure and has absolutely nothing to do with the independent investigation being carried out by the ED," the Home Minister said.

Refuting the Left narrative, Chennithala said the public was fully aware of the political realities in the state. "The usual chorus of finding solace in the Congress-BJP deal is crossing the line. It is the CPM that needs to explain to the public how their own ‘backroom’ understandings with the BJP have so spectacularly collapsed," he added.