Exalogic-CMRL payoff case: Kerala CM says police inquiry not aimed at ‘targeting anyone or taking revenge’
Satheesan says government was obliged to take the decision after proper legal scrutiny
The Kerala Chief Minister, V.D. Satheesan, clarified on Wednesday that the government's decision to initiate a police inquiry into the CMRL-Exalogic payoff controversy was not aimed at targeting or taking revenge against anyone involved. This decision came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted a 25-page report under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), prompting the government to seek legal advice.
The Attorney General and Director General of Prosecution both concurred that an inquiry could be warranted following the preliminary review conducted by the government. In October, the Supreme Court had ruled in a case called Lalita Kumari versus the State of Uttar Pradesh that an FIR can be registered in suspected commercial fraud or corruption cases based on the outcome of a mandatory preliminary inquiry.
This inquiry is aimed at determining whether there is a cognizable offence. The ED had seized a diary from Pinarayi Vijayan's residence in May, which allegedly contained information pertaining to an illicit financial transaction. However, Vijayan denied that the diary contained any incriminating entries. P.A. Mohamed Riyas, the son-in-law of Vijayan and a former minister, claimed that the diary contained notes about his mother-in-law's business ventures in the Gulf, which had yet to be realized.
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