In a significant development, the Kerala High Court has directed a two-month halt on the ongoing trial court proceedings related to a Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) complaint. This case involves Veena T, the daughter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL), currently under scrutiny in the sessions court.
Justice T R Ravi granted the interim order following a petition by CMRL challenging the sessions court’s recent decision to recognize the SFIO’s complaint against the company and others. The court’s order effectively suspends any new notices or summons, including those against Vijayan’s daughter, from being issued by the sessions court during this period.
Representing the Union government, Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan confirmed the High Court’s decision, clarifying that while the request to stay the cognizance was not granted, the proceedings would be paused temporarily.
The charges at the center of this legal pause stem from an SFIO investigation initiated earlier this month. The chargesheet filed accuses CMRL and several individuals, including Veena T and her now-defunct IT firm Exalogic, of engaging in illicit financial practices, notably an “illegal payment” scandal.
Reports suggest that the SFIO has unearthed a financial discrepancy amounting to Rs 182 crore within CMRL, purportedly through the inflation of non-existent expenses and the fabrication of invoices. It is also alleged that Veena T received approximately Rs 2.7 crore from the mining company without any legitimate service provision, a claim that Chief Minister Vijayan has publicly denied.
