The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Veena Vijayan, daughter of former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, transferred money to Dubai through hawala channels, citing handwritten accounts, statements and digital evidence recovered during its investigation. The agency said its findings emerged from a probe into alleged illegal payments by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) to an IT company owned by Veena.
The ED’s claims followed searches at eight locations as part of the investigation. In an official release, the agency said Veena had transferred money to Dubai in UAE dirhams as well as Indian rupees. Veena had not responded to the raids and subsequent developments, according to the material available.
ED Cites Handwritten Accounts and Digital Evidence
The agency said several statements and digital evidence relating to alleged transfers through hawala routes had been seized. It further alleged that Veena had handled money beyond her known sources of income and that amounts recorded in handwritten accounts were over and above those received from CMRL.
According to the ED, handwritten notings showed 3.49 lakh UAE dirhams, stated to be equivalent to about ₹85 lakh, as having been transferred to Dubai. The agency also said the amount maintained in the accounts in Indian rupees was approximately ₹20.05 crore.
Veena’s husband, Muhammed Riyas, told the media in Kozhikode that all transactions had been carried out legally and said the ED investigation would be addressed legally and politically.
Earlier Findings Linked Payments to Veena’s IT Firm
The Income Tax Department had earlier found that Veena’s IT firm, Exalogic Solutions, received ₹2.78 crore from Kochi-based CMRL under the guise of IT consultancy services. Empower India Capital Investment Private Limited, operated by CMRL Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha, had also given ₹50 lakh as a loan to Veena’s firm despite the company’s failure to make repayments, according to the report.
Following the Income Tax Department’s findings, the ED initiated an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act based on a Serious Fraud Investigation Office probe into alleged corporate fraud and bribe payments.
The latest searches came about three months after an earlier exercise conducted on May 27 at several locations connected to Veena and Vijayan, including their residences. The ED alleged that handwritten accounts maintained by Veena were found during those searches. According to the agency, the notes contained names of individuals, amounts handled or spent and details of money allegedly transferred to Dubai.
SIM Card and Internet-Based Calls Under Scrutiny
The ED also said digital evidence seized from Veena contained a photograph of a SIM card obtained in another person’s name for use in a WiFi router. The agency suspects that the SIM card and router were intended for communication through internet-based calls.
According to the ED, people whose names appeared in Veena’s handwritten account, as well as the person who allegedly provided the SIM card, were among those searched on Tuesday.
The investigation centres on the agency’s allegations regarding financial transactions, hawala transfers and payments involving CMRL and Veena’s company. The claims remain allegations by the investigating agency, while Riyas has maintained that the transactions were conducted legally.
