Opposition Congress-led UDF on Thursday once again raised irregularities issue related to the company owned by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter T Veena demanding a central agency investigation into fresh allegations about its illicit transactions.
The UDF demanded a CBI or Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation into the allegations surrounding the now-defunct IT company of Vijayan's daughter, T Veena.
The issue was reignited after fresh findings by the Registrar of Companies (ROC) against the company.
Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly VD Satheesan, quoting the said ROC report, said offences of receiving money using false documents and without providing services have been committed under sections 447 and 448 of the Companies Act.
The grand-old party questioned whether the ongoing probe initiated by the Corporate Affairs Ministry was part of a political settlement between the ruling CPI(M) and the BJP.
The saffron party rejected the charges of a secret pact and asserted that the guilty would be punished.
As the opposition intensified its criticism of the CM and his daughter over the issue, the ruling CPI(M) reiterated that the central investigation against Veena's company was a "politically motivated" move ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Political reactions emerged following a section of the media releasing the said report recently submitted by the Bengaluru-headquartered ROC to the Centre. This report contained adverse remarks against the IT firm.
Based on the ROC's report, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs recently ordered an investigation into complaints about financial transactions between private minerals company CMRL and Veena's IT firm Exalogic.
Neither the chief minister nor his daughter have reacted on the issue.
Stepping up his attack on CM Vijayan and the CPI(M), Satheesan said Veena's IT firm has failed to submit any documents regarding its legitimate transactions with the minerals company.
He said there was no record to prove that Exalogic had provided software services to the Kochi-based minerals company.
Though the report recommended a CBI or ED probe based on the findings, the Centre had entrusted the probe to the Corporate Affairs Ministry.
"The exclusion of the CBI and ED (from the investigation) is part of the compromise between Pinarayi Vijayan and the Sangh Parivar," Satheesan alleged.
"The Congress and the UDF are demanding a CBI or ED probe to be conducted into the matter under the supervision of the court," he added.
The BJP leadership, however, rejected the charge of "secret pact" raised by the Congress and said the present probe is being conducted as the Modi government does not make any such compromises.
The union government has carried out the probe without anyone demanding it, senior BJP leader and Union Minister V Muraleedharan said, rejecting the charges of a "settlement" between the CPI(M) and his party.
In the wake of the corruption charges, a probe was initiated, and there would be further proceedings in this regard, he said.
In response to reporters' questions, Muraleedharan said either the ED or CBI could probe the charges. He also said that the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has the complete authority to submit their probe report in this regard to the court.
Reacting to a query from reporters on the allegations against Veena's firm, senior BJP leader and in-charge of Kerala Prakash Javadekar said there were so many issues and that the investigating agency would probe them.
However, CPI(M) leader and the party's central committee member AK Balan said nothing illegal had taken place in the deal between Veena's IT firm and the minerals company.
He said the Vigilance Court had found that there was no corruption in their deal, and the high court has not sent any notice to either Vijayan or his daughter in the case.
Let the three-member panel carry out the probe and find out the details, the Left leader added.
In an article penned in party mouthpiece Deshabhimani, CPI(M) State Secretary M V Govindan reiterated that the present central probe and ROC report against Veena's IT firm are politically motivated moves.
(With PTI inputs)
