CMRL-Exalogic pay case: ED likely to oppose Pinarayi Vijayan’s appeal against corruption FIR before HC Division Bench

Former Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to oppose former Kerala Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan’s appeal before the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court against the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (VACB) registration of an FIR against him in the Cochin Minerals and RutileExalogic Ltd (CMRL) case.

A meeting of senior officials of the central agency, which began on Wednesday (Oct 21, 2026) in Kochi, is expected to outline the legal course of action following the Supreme Court’s decision on Wednesday to stay the police investigation based on the VACB FIR against Mr Vijayan, his daughter T Veena and son-in-law and former minister in the PA Mohamed case.

A single judge of the Kerala High Court ordered the state police to register an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against the three. This was based on information provided by the ED to the Kerala Police under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Mr. Vijayan, his daughter and son-in-law were on October 15 denied leave (leave) to appeal against the October 9 order of the Single Judge Bench by a division bench of the Supreme Court, prompting them to approach the Supreme Court.

The ED summoned Mr. Vijayan to appear at his office for questioning on Friday (October 23) in connection with the money laundering case related to the CMRL-Exalogic pay case. The central agency had earlier registered two Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs) under PMLA against Mr. Vijayan, Ms. Veena and Mr. Riyas in the payout case.

The ED is likely to wait for the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court to deliver its verdict on the appeal filed by Mr Vijayan against the FIR registered by the VACB under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 before taking further action.

With the former chief minister unlikely to appear for Friday’s questioning citing the apex court’s stay on the FIR probe and the ongoing assembly session, the agency may have to serve a fresh notice to summon him for questioning.

The ED took note of the Supreme Court’s decision not to record any opinions on the validity of the ECIRs registered against Mr. Vijayan, his daughter and Mr. Riyas, noting that there was no bar in continuing its investigation into the money laundering angle of the pay case. The agency considered possible legal objections to the probe as the apex court had given Mr. Vijayan and his family members a challenge to the ECIR at the appropriate forum in accordance with law.

Published – 22 Oct 2026 10:39 IST