ED initiates probe against Kerala CM's daughter Veena

Amidst the row over ED action against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the central agency has initiated a probe into the shady financial transaction of a controversial mining firm with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter's IT firm.

Already the Serious Fraud Investigation Office under the ministry of corporate affairs is probing into the transactions, which were alleged to be illegal gratifications for the undue favours received by the mining firm Cochin Minerals and Rutiles Limited (CMRL) from the Kerala government for mineral sand mining from the coastal areas of Alappuzha and Kollam in Kerala.

While the CPM reacted that the ED was working as an agency of the BJP, Congress reacted that the fresh move was just a "stunt" to cover up the CPM-BJP nexus in Kerala.

Later while speaking at a public meeting, Pinarayi Vijayan said that the BJP government at the centre was misusing central agencies against opposition parties. He also added that the action against Delhi chief minister was only one such instance.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan of the Congress said that even as the ED initiated many probes against the CPM government and CPM controlled cooperative banks in Kerala, no actions were taken against the real culprits yet. Similarly the SFIO had also not even issued any notice to those involved in the doubtful transactions. Hence the present move by ED was only a "stunt" to cover up the BJP-CPM nexus in Kerala.

Satheesan also alleged that spiritual guide Sri M played the role of middleman in the CPM-BJP,RSS nexus and in return the Kerala government gave four acre land on lease to him.

The allegations against the Chief Minister's daughter pertained to Rs. 1.72 crore given by CMRL to Veena and her Bengaluru-based firm Exalogic Solutions. An Income Tax interim settlement board had initially raised suspicions over the deal and further probes by central agencies also found that there was no evidence for any service rendered by Veena's firm to the mining firm.