Thrissur: CPM Thrissur district secretary MM Varghese has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate. He will have to appear at the ED office in Kochi on Thursday. He has been asked to carry details of daily audits of the district committee since 2017.

However, MM Varghese had informed ED on Tuesday that it was impossible to provide details on every single transaction over the said time period. The CPM state committee also holds the same opinion. The party state leadership is also known to have instructed not to furnish details of day-to-day financial transactions. MM Varghese is being summoned for the fourth time.

He is being summoned as the ED supposedly received information that CPM district committee had received commission for the alleged money laundering at Karuvannur bank. The investigation agency also received tips that five accounts were opened by the party at the bank in this regard. It is known that the CPM district committee office secretary will also be interrogated soon in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has issued a stay on the second summons issued by the ED asking the cooperative registrar to appear before it in connection with the case. Justice PV Kunhikrishnan issued the stay after considering a petition filed by the registrar TV Subhash claiming that ED had issued summons seeking information which was outside the realm of the case. It should be noted that an earlier summons issued by the agency was stayed on October 26. The ED had issued the second summons without filing an affidavit in reply to the earlier one.

Meanwhile, TV Subhash has alleged that the ED is deliberately trying to tarnish the image of the entire cooperative sector. Advocate general K Gopalakrishna Kurup had appeared on his behalf.