Former Keralam chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was served ED summons as officials pasted a notice outside his rented residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday in connection with the Cochin Mineral and Rutile Limited (CMRL)-Exalogic payoff case.
Vijayan gets ED summons after FIR
The ED issued the summons on Friday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following registration of a case linked to a recent FIR by the state police. Earlier reporting noted: The Enforcement Directorate issued the summons on Friday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after registering a case based on a recent FIR filed by the state police. Earlier reporting noted: On Saturday, an ED official from Kochi visited former Chief Minister Vijayan’s residence near Bakery Junction here and pasted the two-page copy of the summons near the entrance.
Vijayan has challenged the Kerala High Court ruling that paved the way for the FIR. Speaking to reporters, he criticised the ED’s action, saying Vijayan was in Kannur attending a party conference and was not absconding. “He went from here to Alappuzha and then to Kannur. After completing a two-day meeting, he will return to Thiruvananthapuram. If they wanted, they could have served the notice directly to him,” PTI quoted the former education minister as saying.
The leader of opposition in the Keralam cabinet has been asked by the ED to appear at 11 am on October 23, to give evidence and produce records, news agency ANI reported. Earlier reporting noted: CMRL case: ED pastes summons at ex-CM Vijayan’s house, asks him to appear for questioning on Oct 23 Thiruvananthapuram, The ED on Saturday pasted a summons outside the residence of Keralam Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, asking him to appear for questioning on October 23 in connection with the CMRL-linked money laundering case.
Officials cited by PTI said Vijayan was not present at the residence when the officials arrived. He said an ED official had first visited the residence alone in the morning to serve the summons, but had returned when Vijayan was not present.
“Treating someone who had been the chief minister and now the Leader of the Opposition in this manner is completely unjust, anti-democratic and highly deplorable,” he said.
