The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at the residence of former Kerala Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram, and is recording his statement in connection with the CMRL (Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited) money laundering case. The ED team reached his rented house at Vazhuthacaud early in the morning, where Vijayan and his daughter Veena Vijayan were present. Searches are also underway at Vijayan’s house in Kannur and at the residence of former minister and Beypore MLA Muhammad Riyas in Kozhikode.

The searches come a day after the Kerala High Court dismissed a petition by CMRL seeking to stay the ED investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court allowed the ED to continue its probe into the alleged financial irregularities involving Exalogic Solutions, a company owned by Veena Vijayan, and CMRL. The ED is conducting raids at around 12 locations across Kerala, including the CMRL office and the residence of its managing director Sasidharan Kartha.

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BJP leader Shone George has claimed that if the investigation proceeds without hindrance, Pinarayi Vijayan will be named an accused and eventually arrested. Vijayan has previously termed the case a political vendetta. The ED’s action marks a significant escalation in the probe, which has faced legal hurdles in the past.