Kickback Allegations Rock Kerala: High Court Seeks Answers

The Kerala High Court has requested responses from the Centre and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan regarding allegations of receiving kickbacks from a private mining company. The plea urges a CBI investigation and involves the Chief Minister's daughter and her defunct IT firm, Exalogic. The court has issued notices to various parties.

The Kerala High Court has brought the Centre and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan under scrutiny over allegations of financial misconduct involving a private mining company. The bench, comprising Justices Amit Rawal and P M Manoj, has issued notices to several key figures, including Vijayan, his daughter, and others associated with Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL).

M R Ajayan, a journalist, filed the plea, alleging that the now-defunct IT firm Exalogic, owned by Vijayan's daughter, received payments channeled from the private mining entity CMRL. The court has asked for responses while also directing an investigation into the potential political connections with these financial transactions.

Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) investigations have revealed a substantial financial fraud within CMRL, amounting to Rs 182 crore in false expenditure claims and unsubstantiated payments, including Rs 2.7 crore allegedly given to Vijayan's daughter's firm without any service rendered. These revelations come on the heels of a dismissed call for vigilance by a local Congress MLA.

(With inputs from agencies.)