CMRL-Exalogic Case: Register FIR Against Pinrayi Vijayan, Kerala HC Directs
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New Delhi , October 9 :The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register a First Information Report (FIR) against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and her husband, former minister P. A. Mohammad Riyas, in the CMRL-Exalogic case involving allegations of corruption linked to financial transactions.
Justice A. Badharudeen passed the order while allowing a petition filed by advocate K. M. Shajahan, who had served as Additional Private Secretary to former Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan when he was the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly.
Court Sets Aside State's Decision
The court set aside the Kerala government's decision to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a preliminary inquiry without registering an FIR. It directed the VACB Director to obtain the information provided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and register an FIR against all suspected persons for the offences disclosed in the communication.
The court also directed the Director General of Police or the head of the SIT to hand over the information to the VACB Director immediately. The ED was instructed to forward all necessary documents to the vigilance authority.
The court held that the information shared by the ED contained sufficient material indicating possible cognisable offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and that no further preliminary inquiry was required before registering the FIR.
Background of the Case
The case concerns payments made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL), a Kerala-based mineral-processing company, to Exalogic Solutions Private Limited, an IT firm associated with Veena T. The payments were described as consultancy and IT service fees, but investigators questioned whether the claimed services were actually provided.
HC has directer an FIR against former CM Pinarayi Vijayan, daughter Veena and son-in-law Mohammed Riyas in the payoff case. https://t.co/kdaMaqfUrA
— KIRAN PRAKASH (@MSKiranPrakash) October 9, 2026
The Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs ordered an investigation involving CMRL, Exalogic and the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation in January 2024. The Serious Fraud Investigation Office subsequently examined the corporate transactions, while the ED investigated suspected money laundering.
In September 2026, the ED forwarded information to Kerala Police seeking a separate corruption investigation. Shajahan challenged the state's decision to order a preliminary inquiry instead of registering an FIR. The ED supported his plea, while the state government questioned its maintainability.