Registrar of Companies finds irregularities worth Rs 103 crore in CMRL account

New Delhi: The Registrar of Companies (RoC) has informed the Delhi High Court that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) had presented fake accounts amounting to Rs 103 crore.
The RoC, under the central Ministry of Corporate Affairs, submitted the status quo report following the high court's order in a CMRL petition seeking the closure of a probe in the alleged monthly quota case.

The report said Kochi-based CMRL presented fake waste removal and transportation accounts between the financial years 2012-13 and 2018-19. The RoC submitted before the court that a probe has been progressing to find the actual utilisation of the Rs 103 crore.
The high court was also informed that CMRL could not seek the court's interference at the current fact-finding probe stage. Further, the RoC submitted that the ongoing probe was not final, but for the central government to decide if prosecution was necessary. The RoC requested the court to reject the CMRL's plea.

The Centre has assigned the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to probe the case.
The status quo report also stated that the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC)'s reply to an explanation sought was unsatisfactory. The KSIDC has stakes in CMRL.

The Income-Tax Department's Interim Settlement Board's New Delhi bench had found that CMRL had paid Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's T Veena and her company, Exalogic, Rs 1.72 crore in three years. The bench had also judged that the payment was made considering Exalogic's link with a prominent person. The central government ordered a probe after receiving complaints based on the above finding.