The Enforcement Directorate is preparing to seek assistance from authorities in Dubai through letters rogatory as part of its money-laundering investigation into alleged hawala transactions linked to the CMRL-Exalogic case involving former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter T. Veena.
The agency is also expected to summon Veena, who owned the now-defunct Exalogic Solutions, for questioning. The move comes days after the ED summoned Vijayan to appear before its Kochi zonal office on October 23 in connection with alleged payments made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd to Exalogic and suspected subsequent transfers through hawala channels.
ED Seeks Dubai Assistance to Trace Money Trail
The proposed letters rogatory are intended to obtain information from Dubai authorities about the alleged overseas transactions and to help establish the movement of funds and their possible beneficiaries.
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The ED investigation centres on allegations that CMRL paid Exalogic ₹2.78 crore for IT consultancy and related services despite allegedly receiving no corresponding services.
The agency has further alleged that the payments formed part of a wider arrangement involving illegal gratification to Vijayan during his tenure as chief minister. These allegations have not been established in court.
The investigation gathered momentum after the ED carried out searches at premises linked to Vijayan, Veena and others. The agency said it recovered handwritten accounts, digital evidence and other material that pointed to suspected transfers through hawala channels.
Seized Records Refer to Dubai Transfers
According to the ED’s account of the material seized during the searches, handwritten entries referred to approximately ₹20.05 crore handled in Indian currency and 3.49 lakh UAE dirhams, equivalent to around ₹85 lakh, allegedly transferred to Dubai.
The agency has maintained that the amounts recorded in those accounts were separate from the payments received by Exalogic from CMRL.
The ED has also alleged that P.A. Mohamed Riyas, Vijayan’s son-in-law and a former Kerala minister, helped facilitate transfers of money to Dubai through Veena and others. That allegation also remains under investigation.
Vijayan has denied wrongdoing and maintained that members of his family were not involved in hawala dealings.
Two ECIRs Registered in Separate Probes
The ED had earlier sent a report to Kerala Police seeking registration of cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Vijayan, Veena, Riyas and others.
The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau subsequently registered two FIRs following a direction from the Kerala High Court.
The ED has since registered two Enforcement Case Information Reports to examine the alleged payoffs and suspected hawala transactions separately.
The proposed request to Dubai authorities marks a fresh stage in the investigation as the agency seeks overseas information to trace the alleged financial trail and identify any beneficiaries connected to the transactions.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
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