ED asks Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's close aide to appear on February 27

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's additional private secretary C M Raveendran has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for quizzing in connection with the probe into a UAE agency-funded housing scheme for the poor under the LIFE Mission scheme of the state government.

Raveendran, who has been a close aide of Vijayan and many CPM leaders, was asked to appear at the ED office in Kochi on February 27.

The Chief Minister's former principal secretary M Sivasankar was already arrested by the ED in the case. Over Rs 4 crore was given as commission to various persons by the private firm that was awarded the work of the housing project at Wadakkanchery in Thrissur.

Raveendran was quizzed by the ED earlier also in connection with the gold and dollar smuggling allegations involving officials of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. Raveendran came under ED scanner after gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh mentioned his involvement in her statements to the investigation agencies.