Ex-Kerala CM’s daughter seeks postponement of ED questioning in CMRL PMLA case

Veena T, daughter of former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has sought postponement of her ED questioning in the CMRL money laundering case, citing health issues. The probe concerns alleged payments and loans linked to her firm, Exalogic Solutions, under PMLA investigation

Kochi: Veena T, daughter of former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has requested the ED to postpone her questioning in connection with the CMRL money laundering case, sources said on Thursday.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had summoned Veena to appear before its investigation team at the agency’s office in Kochi on Friday. However, Veena recently sent an email to the ED seeking postponement of her appearance, citing health issues, sources said.

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She has also informed the agency that all required documents would be submitted through her counsel shortly, they added.

ED sources said the agency would consider issuing a fresh summons with a new date for her appearance.

The ED probe pertains to allegations that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) made payments amounting to Rs 2.78 crore to Exalogic Solutions Private Limited, an IT consultancy firm owned by Veena, without receiving any services in return.

According to the ED, another company, Empower India Capital Investments Private Limited (EICPL), operated by CMRL Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha, had extended loans worth Rs 50 lakh to Exalogic despite the company allegedly failing to make timely repayments.

The agency has alleged that the management of CMRL, led by Kartha and Veena, generated “proceeds of crime” through these transactions.

The ED registered the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on the basis of a prosecution complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) before a court in Ernakulam in April 2025.

The SFIO is the investigation arm of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

CMRL came under the scanner of central agencies following an Income Tax Department raid in January 2019 that allegedly uncovered irregularities, including certain expenses suspected to be fictitious, amounting to around Rs 130 crore.

Last month, the ED conducted searches at 10 locations linked to the case, including premises associated with Veena and her husband, former minister PA Mohammed Riyas.