Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday dismissed allegations against his daughter, T Veena, in the ongoing Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) probe into an alleged Rs 1.7 crore illegal payment as politically motivated. Vijayan alleged that the action was aimed at targeting him personally, stating, "You can keep hoping for my resignation," in response to demands from the Congress and BJP. The SFIO is investigating a case involving payments made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) to Veena's now-defunct IT firm, Exalogic Solutions, reportedly for services that were never rendered. Reports suggested the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also preparing to initiate a money laundering probe.
On his daughter's alleged involvement in a financial fraud, Vijayan said, "In the case of Bineesh Kodiyeri, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's name was not mentioned. In this case, my name is mentioned. The party has clearly recognized the intention behind the case . The case is in the court. Let it go its own way. The case is in the court and I don't want to comment more. The case has to be faced in the court, not the media," as quoted by news agency ANI.
'I am the real target': Vijayan
Vijayan claimed that unlike previous cases involving CPI(M) leaders’ relatives, this investigation directly targets him through his daughter. "Here, the allegations begin with the phrase 'my daughter'. That is the difference. So, the party knows I’m the real target," he said.
The Chief Minister also slammed the media for allegedly ignoring the fact that all payments were made through proper channels, with GST and income tax duly paid. He added that CMRL itself acknowledged that the payments were for legitimate services and that Exalogic provided detailed documentation.
Background of the case
The issue stemmed from a 2023 Income Tax Department report stating that CMRL paid Rs 1.72 crore to Exalogic between 2018–21 without availing any services. The SFIO investigation reportedly uncovered that Veena received Rs 2.70 crore in total and that a Rs 182 crore financial fraud involving fake bills and inflated expenses was underway at CMRL.
The ED probe began in March 2024 following a complaint by Shone George, a Kottayam district panchayat member and son of veteran politician P.C. George. The Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs has also approved prosecution proceedings against Veena under the Companies Act.
Who is T Veena?
Veena, a former Oracle employee, has long been in the public eye in Kerala. She took over as CEO of RP Techsoft International in 2012 and later founded Exalogic in 2014. Her educational and professional choices have often drawn criticism from political opponents, particularly in the context of the CPI(M)'s public stance on private education and IT industry policies.
As the ED prepares to take the probe forward, political temperatures continue to rise in Kerala, with the Opposition demanding accountability and the Chief Minister firmly standing by his daughter.
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