Workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) allegedly attacked a vehicle carrying officials of the Enforcement Directorate outside the residence of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
Kerala HC Allows ED To Continue Probe
The action comes after the Kerala High Court allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to continue its probe in the case. The court had earlier dismissed pleas seeking to stop the investigation and refused requests for more time to approach a higher court.
During the hearing, the ED argued that proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) can continue even without a prior FIR. The agency also informed the court that the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) had already filed a complaint in April 2025.
'Veena Received Lakhs Of Payment For Services Which Never Given'
The ED launched its investigation based on findings by the SFIO, which alleged that a company owned by Veena Vijayan received payments worth lakhs of rupees for services that were allegedly never provided.
After the ED issued summons and carried out searches, company officials moved the court, alleging harassment during questioning and claiming there was no evidence to justify a money laundering probe against the firm.
The transactions had earlier come under scrutiny following observations by the Interim Board for Settlement of the Income Tax Department, which questioned whether the payments could be treated as legitimate business expenditure.
Based on these findings, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs ordered an SFIO investigation in January 2024. The ED later summoned officials of CMRL in April 2024, after which the company challenged the agency’s action before the court.