Veena Vijaya
KOCHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday questioned Veena T, owner of the now-defunct IT firm Exalogic Solutions Pvt Ltd and daughter of Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan, for more than eight hours in connection with its money laundering investigation into the financial dealings between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and Exalogic.
Veena appeared before the ED’s zonal office at Kadavanthra around 10.15 a.m. in response to a fresh summons issued by the agency. She left the office shortly after 8 p.m. following an extensive round of questioning. Her husband, Beypore MLA P.A. Mohammed Riyas, accompanied her to the ED office but remained inside the vehicle at the security gate. Neither Veena nor Riyas interacted with the media before or after the interrogation.
The questioning came days after Veena failed to appear before the agency on June 12, citing health issues and requesting permission for her lawyer to submit documents on her behalf. The ED rejected the request and insisted on her personal appearance.
According to sources, investigators questioned Veena based on digital evidence collected during earlier searches and documents contained in the 57-volume prosecution complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). A major focus of the interrogation was the ₹2.78 crore received by Exalogic from CMRL between 2017 and 2020 towards “IT and Marketing Consultancy” services.
The ED sought explanations and supporting records regarding the services allegedly rendered by Exalogic. The SFIO, in its findings, has concluded that no software development or consultancy services were actually provided despite the payments made by CMRL.
Investigators also examined a ₹50 lakh loan received by Exalogic from Empower India Capital Investments Private Limited (EICPL), where Jaya S. Kartha, wife of CMRL Managing Director S.N. Sasidharan Kartha, is a director. The agency is probing whether funds originating from CMRL were routed through related entities and used to settle private liabilities.
The questioning followed the ED’s recent examination of Jaya Kartha, CMRL Joint Managing Director Saran S. Kartha and company director Shiby S. Kartha. Officials are cross-verifying statements and financial records as part of the wider probe into alleged irregularities linked to a purported ₹182-crore fake expenditure network uncovered by the SFIO.
The ED has already frozen ₹18.36 crore in 242 bank accounts linked to the case and is tracing the alleged proceeds of crime. The agency is expected to decide on further questioning of Veena after verifying her statements against the evidence collected during the investigation.
