Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said his daughter, Veena T, was being "hunted down" solely because of her relation to him. “The case is before the court. We will face it there,” he said, dismissing calls for his resignation from the Opposition.

"My daughter received payment for services rendered to a firm. How is that black money? There is proof in the form of a GST invoice," he said.

The CM  was responding to media queries during a presser on the state government’s anti-drug campaign. He refused to be drawn into a detailed response on the ongoing controversy.

"The chargesheet begins by referring to the Chief Minister's daughter. This shows why she is being targeted — they are out for my blood," he said.

The CM also brushed aside the demands for resignation. The Congress and BJP have demanded Vijayan’s resignation and a high-level probe into alleged corruption involving his daughter and her firm. 

The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has filed a prosecution complaint in the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) bribery case before the Economic Offences Court in Kochi.

The 160-page chargesheet lists 27 accused, including Veena Vijayan and her company, Exalogic Solutions. They have been charged under Section 447 of the Companies Act, which deals with fraud. Several top CMRL officials, including managing director Sasidharan Kartha, have also been named.

The SFIO launched its investigation in January 2024 based on a report from the Registrar of Companies (RoC), which flagged alleged irregularities in the firm’s financial dealings.