Thiruvananthapuram: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has started its probe into the alleged financial deal between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited and Exalogic Solutions owned by Chief Minister's daughter T Veena. The central agency has asked the finance department officials of CMRL to appear for interrogation and produce related documents at its Kochi office on Thursday.
According to reports, people including CM's daughter and other companies that entered into a deal with CMRL are under ED scanner.
The Interim Settlement Board of the Central Income Tax Department found that CMRL had transferred Rs 1.72 crore to Exalogic Solutions, which did not provide any services. CMRL officials including finance General Manager P Suresh Kumar, CFO KS Suresh Kumar and cashier KM Vasudevan had confessed to the Board that Veena's firm received crores without providing any services.
The Registrar of Companies (ROC) found that the transaction between CMRL and Exalogic constituted an offence under the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the Anti-Corruption Act. It was in March, that ED registered a money laundering case against CMRL after the alleged illegal deal with Exalogic Solutions made headlines. Further probe revealed that CMRL donated over Rs 73 crore to politicians, temples and media houses from 2012-2020. But the company tactfully added these transactions to its travel expenditure.
