Kochi: A petition has been filed in the high court challenging the govt order directing a preliminary police inquiry against former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his kin based on the ED’s recommendation in the CMRL pay-off case, rather than registering a case under the PC Act.
Additionally, Shajahan stated in the petition that he had given a complaint to the state police chief (SPC) and vigilance director seeking an investigation into the alleged payments of Rs 3.28 crore made by CMRL to Exalogic Solutions, a defunct company owned by Veena, the daughter of Pinarayi Vijayan, without receiving corresponding IT consultancy services.
Instead of handing over ED’s recommendation to the director of the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau, the state govt issued an order directing a preliminary police inquiry into the matter, which was nothing but “match-fixing” and an attempt to save the alleged culprits, according to Shajahan. The petition filed by K M Shajahan, a social activist and former additional private secretary to late chief minister V S Achuthanandan, will be considered by the court the next day. The recommendation made by the ED to the state police chief has now reached the political leadership, the petitioner alleged. Accordingly, a preliminary inquiry by the police was ordered, rather than by the agency exclusively entrusted with offences under the PC Act, he added.
Meanwhile, ED forwarded the materials collected during its investigation into the matter under the PMLA and recommended that the state police chief register a case against Vijayan, along with his daughter T Veena, son-in-law and former minister P A Mohammed Riyas. Despite an SIT headed by crime branch ADGP H Venkatesh being formed to conduct a preliminary inquiry, no FIR has been registered and no time frame has been prescribed, the petitioner alleged.