Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter Veena T on a petition seeking a CBI probe into the pay offs received by Veena and her daughter from controversial mining firm Cochin Mineral and Rutiles Limited (CMRL).
The HC action was on the basis of a public interest petition seeking probe on the basis of Income Tax department's interim settlement board report on the payments made by the mining firm to Vjayan's daughter's Bengaluru-based IT firm Exalogic Solutions. A division bench posted the matter to May 27.
The Chief Minister did not give any proper reply to questions regarding the matter during a press conference on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, the HC stalled the proceedings of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) case involving the Chief Minister's daughter and CMRL for two months.
Considering a petition filed by CMRL, a single bench ordered to maintain status quo and serve notices to all respondents. The case will be considered when the court reopens after vacation.
The probe by SFIO had found that there was a fraudulent transaction of Rs. 2.70 crore from the mining firm Cochin Minerals and Rutiles Limited (CMRL) and a firm associated with its promoter Sasidharan Kartha to Veena and her Bengaluru-based firm Exalogic Solutions.
The case was based on the remarks in a report of the Income Tax interim settlement board that CMRL firm paid Rs. 1.72 crore to the Chief Minister's daughter and her firm.