ED Posts Summons at Pinarayi Vijayan’s Home

A two-page summons now sits near the entrance of Pinarayi Vijayan’s rented home in Thiruvananthapuram. India’s Enforcement Directorate, or ED, pasted it on Saturday after the former Kerala chief minister was away. It directed him to appear in Kochi at 11 a.m. on October 23. The agency says it took this step to ensure he received the notice. ^1,4

The October 23 appointment follows a summons the ED issued on Friday under India’s money-laundering law. The agency is investigating alleged payments from Cochin Mineral and Rutile Limited, or CMRL, to Exalogic Solutions, a company linked to Vijayan’s daughter. The ED alleges that CMRL paid Rs 2.78 crore under the guise of IT consultancy fees. These claims remain allegations, not proof of wrongdoing. ^3,17

The Rs 2.78 crore allegation has also led to court action in the state. On October 9, the Kerala High Court directed the state’s Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to open a case, and the bureau later filed FIRs. Vijayan has challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court. On Friday, the court declined to hear his urgent request to pause the proceedings. It may consider a special bench during the holiday break or list the matter on October 26. ^3,4

October 26 is the next stated court date if the Supreme Court does not arrange an earlier hearing. At the residence, senior CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty said Vijayan was in Kannur for a party meeting, not avoiding the agency. He argued that officials could have served him directly and called the pasted notice unfair. Whether Vijayan attends the Kochi questioning on October 23 is for him to decide, Sivankutty said. ⁴