Chennithala blames CPM for attack on ED vehicles during Kerala raids

Kerala Home minister Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday accused CPI(M) workers of orchestrating a “conspiracy” to disrupt law and order after Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials came under attack during raids linked to the CMRL money laundering investigation involving Veena T, daughter of former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The violence erupted outside Vijayan’s rented residence at Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram, where ED teams were conducting searches as part of a wider probe into alleged financial transactions between Veena’s now-defunct IT firm and a private mining company.

Chennithala alleged that CPI(M) activists deliberately targeted and damaged vehicles belonging to ED officials in an attempt to create unrest under the newly formed United Democratic Front (UDF) government.

“No one will be allowed to take the law into their hands,” the Home Minister said, adding that all those involved in the violence would face stringent action irrespective of their political standing.

He claimed police had photographic evidence of those who took part in the attack and said the culprits would be identified and arrested soon.

“We are not against protests and demonstrations, but attacking investigation officials and vandalising their vehicles is unacceptable,” Chennithala said.

The minister maintained that Kerala Police had acted promptly despite not receiving prior information or intelligence inputs from the ED regarding the raids.

According to him, police personnel independently reached all locations where crowds had gathered during the searches. He noted that no untoward incidents were reported during raids at Vijayan’s permanent residence in Kannur or at the house of P A Mohamed Riyas in Kozhikode.

However, he alleged that the attack in the state capital was a planned attempt to destabilise public order.

Chennithala also said the government would firmly deal with any attempts to incite unrest in Kerala following the change in administration.

“There have been repeated attempts over the last two days to disrupt law and order in the capital,” he said, referring to separate tensions linked to a university union issue and the ED raid incident.

Defending the police response, the minister argued that authorities could have taken stronger preventive measures had there been advance information about the ED operation.

Meanwhile, police arrested four people in connection with the attack after a prolonged stand-off outside a CPI(M) area committee office in Palayam, where the suspects were believed to be hiding.

The ED raids covered 10 locations across Kerala, including Vijayan’s rented residence in Thiruvananthapuram and his family home in Kannur.

The searches are part of an investigation into alleged payments made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) to Exalogic Solutions, a company formerly owned by Veena Vijayan.

The ED case, registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in 2024, alleges that CMRL paid Rs 1.72 crore to Exalogic Solutions between 2017 and 2020 without receiving any services in return.

The probe originated from a complaint by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) after the Income Tax Department’s interim settlement board questioned the legitimacy of transactions between the mining company and Exalogic Solutions.

With IANS inputs